Mirror
by theresnomeaning
Summary: AU. Son of Death Eaters imprisoned in Azkaban, Harry Potter lived in a muggle orphanage until he received his Hogwarts' letter. People thought that leaving him in the muggle world make him not follow his parents' steps. How wrong they were. But why did his parents join the Dark Lord?
1. Sancta Terra

Hello, this is my new story. It is completely AU (though some canon events will happen).

I apologise for any spelling and grammar mistakes. I am not an English native speaker, so sometimes I can write some really weird stuff.

Updates will happen every two weeks approximately.

Yes, the chapter title is taken from the homonym song by Epica (I'm a fan, sorry if in the long run I use a lot of songs to name my chapters).

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 – Sancta Terra <strong>

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted. Part of the Slytherin table clapped cheerfully. Ravenclaws mostly clapped indifferently, Hufflepuffs clapped out of politeness and Gryffindors mostly did not clap at all. Besides house rivalry, the boy was son of Voldemort's right hand, who had along with his mother betrayed the Light. Harry Potter was just another slimy Death Eater spawn.

"He is the traitor's son." … "Disgusting." … "Slimy Death Eater's spawn." … "Should not be allowed here."

Harry ignored those comments. In time he would show them. In time. In time he would make them eat their words. Seriously, he did not even know his parents and he was already being judged because of them. Just like at the orphanage, where he was cast off because of his magic.

He took a seat on the Slytherin table. A girl with long ebony hair and grey eyes approached him. "Hello, I am Cassiopeia Lestrange. Nice to meet you." she said extending her hand to Harry, who shook it.

"Harry Potter. Nice to meet you as well."

"You have quite the reputation, Potter." the girl said grinning.

"So I've noticed. But I really don't know what my parents did to leave me with a such bad image."

"You don't know?" Cassiopeia asked disbelieving. "Where have you been living all this time?"

"With muggles. In a muggle orphanage." Harry replied coolly. Lestrange's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh, the poor thing!" a masculine voice sounded beside them. Harry looked and found a boy with brown hair and deep blue eyes. "Anthony Rosier. It is a pleasure to meet you, Potter. It seems that we know more about your family than you. Tell me, how is the life with muggles?"

"Not pleasant." Harry said – that was an understatement, – but then he grinned. "But I _convinced_ then to stay out of my way." he held his hand out to him. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"Yes, I bet you did!" the boy exclaimed.

"So... What did my parents do that even my children will be hated because of them?" Harry asked. He never knew why his parents were arrested, but he sometimes he could remember the day when they were taken away. He had imprinted on his mind the face of the man who arrested them. He did not know about the wizarding world until Professor McGonagall brought him his letter, but he quickly learned about it through the books, that did not say much about his parents, only that they were traitors.

"Well... Your father and mother betrayed the Light completely. The Potter family had always been allied with the Light. And your mother was a muggleborn, it was expected that she sided with the Light. Nobody knows why, but your father and mother joined the Dark Lord in secret after finishing the school. James Potter was the Dark Lord's right hand at the time of his defeat." Anthony spoke.

"And they were arrested by aurors one year after the Dark Lord was vanquished." the boy completed.

"I don't understand." mused Harry. "I thought the Dark Lord hated people like my mother, she was a muggleborn..."

"But she wasn't a mudblood!" The girl interjected.

"I thought it was the same." Harry replied frowning.

"No. Muggleborns who are powerful, intelligent and willingly to accept the wizarding culture are welcome. Mudbloods are those who want to change the magical world and contaminate it with filthy muggle culture. They try to impose their culture on us, they think that we are retrograde. They don't deserve their magic." Anthony explained with fierceness. Well, the book Harry read did not mention that.

"I see." Harry replied, pondering on what the boy had just said. Muggles were ignorants, vile and dangerous, he knew it in first hand. "So I am glad that my mother is intelligent, as my father."

"Oh yes, your father did improve the reputation of the Potter family, their status as blood traitors was erased, now everybody knows that Potter was the Dark Lord's right hand."

"But some people here in Slytherin might discriminate you because you are a half-blood. The fact that you lived with muggles for all these years will not help you."

"What?" Harry asked surprised. "People will think that because I lived with muggles I love them?" he laughed darkly "If anything, living in their world only made me dislike them, to put it mildly." then Harry sighed. "I do hope that no one really tries anything against me. I would hate being forced to harm any of my fellow house-mates."

Cassiopeia and Anthony did not question that. They wanted to see just what Harry Potter would do if anyone bothered him.

Harry noticed that two professors staring at him intensely. One of them had sallow skin, dark greasy hair that fell on his chin and black eyes. The other had brown curled hair that also reached his chin and grey eyes.

"Those two professors are staring at me. Do you know who they are?" Harry asked his two 'colleagues'.

"The one with dark hair is Professor Severus Snape, our head of house, he also teaches Potions. He was a Death Eater, but Dumbledore claims that he was a spy. However, my father told me that it was a manoeuvre, he was actually loyal to the Dark Lord." Anthony said in a shushed tone. "He hates everyone, especially Gryffindors, but he treats us Slytherins fairly well and favours us."

"The other is Sirius Black, a blood traitor. He is your godfather, but he probably despises you now. He was good friends with your father, until it was found that he was a Death Eater. It is funny, because the Blacks always were a dark family, and then that disgrace was born tainting their name." Cassiopeia spoke. "My mother was born a Black. I know that she loathes Sirius, as well as my aunt."

"He teaches what?" Harry asked.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts." Lestrange replied with disgust. "It would be so much better to go to Durmstrang, there they teach _the _Dark Arts, no defence against them."

"Come, Potter, you need to know the rest of the first years." Anthony said.

Harry was introduced to the twins siblings Maya and Septimus Avery, Andreas Selwyn, Helena Rowle and Sophia Shaqif. It was a year with an unusual small number of Slytherin first years. After the feast the Slytherins – from first to seventh years – gathered on the common room to listen to Professor Snape's speech.

"Slytherins. Welcome back to those who are returning. The rules still the same in our house, I expect you all to remember how things work here. You may go." he paused and watched every first year. "Now, for those who are joining us this year, I welcome you as well. You will notice while in Hogwarts that this house is target of prejudice, therefore you will stick together whilst in front of the other houses. I do not care if you dislike your house-mate, when you are out of this common room you will act as a united front. Do you understand this?"

All the first years nodded.

"Good. Now, you will notice that I will rarely take points from Slytherin or give you a detention in public. However, do not think that I will tolerate any inadequate behaviour you may have. You will be punished, I assure you. Do I make myself clear?"

Again, all the first years nodded in agreement.

"Furthermore, I strongly suggest that you do not seek for disagreements for whatever reason. Also remember that every Slytherin is here because they deserve it, no matter their money, their family or blood status."

Snape smirked slightly before finishing. "An, lastly, if you need to show members of other houses, especially Gryffindor, any _retribution_, do not get caught." he spaced the last four words.

The professor waved his hand dismissively. "Potter, stay behind."

Severus was worried. Minerva was the one who delivered Potter's letter – personally – and she expressed her _bad_ opinion about him. It seemed that the boy was left by his relatives – Lily's muggle relatives – in an orphanage, where he was tormented by the other children just because he was a wizard. The matrons of the place did not like him, because he apparently caused the other children harm – as if they were all sweet little angels. McGonagall told this the entire staff and that made them already dislike the child – except Vector (who would not teach Harry until third year) and Flitwick.

It was ironic. James Potter had been loved by everyone while in school – before Merlin knows why he became a Death Eater – and his son was probably going to be ostracised. Something inside Snape was actually joyful with that, but he quickly put those feelings aside. James Potter had apologised for tormenting him in school when both became fellow Death Eaters, and besides, Harry Potter was just an innocent child that may have done something questionable because he was pushed too far, he should not be blamed by his father's sins (not that Severus considered aligning with the Dark a sin).

"Mr. Potter I want to warn you that your behaviour whilst in this school will be severely observed, not by me, but you caught the attention of Professor McGonagall when she heard the matrons of the orphanage you live talking about you. I strongly suggest that you do not do anything harsh, even if provoked."

Harry raised one eyebrow. Oh, he surely should expect the stupid women from the orphanage to make everyone dislike him.

"I understand, professor. The matrons' opinions about me are not very high. I should expect them to babble about those stories in which I mysteriously put the whole place under nightmares. I mean, they are so silly, how could I do that if I did not even know about magic until Professor McGonagall delivered my letter?" Harry said with a sweet voice, his expression childish innocent. "I thank you for the advice, and rest assured that I would never dream of being harsh on anyone."

Snape smirked. The boy was intelligent, and he could look innocent. Maybe with time he could get in the teachers' graces.

"Very well, Mr. Potter. You may go." Harry turned around to leave, but then Snape called him again. "And Mr. Potter, between you and me... Those are not just silly stories."

"Think what you will, professor." the boy replied with a smirk and walked away.

.

"What was that about?" Asked Cassiopeia when Harry joined the other first years.

"Professor Snape wanted to warn me about the way the teachers will see me." Harry replied with a hint of annoyance on his voice.

"Your reputation is worse than the Cassiopeia's" Anthony said in a mocking tone.

"Not all of us have parents who preferred to deny the Dark Lord than go to Azkaban." the girl replied dryly and Anthony said nothing more.

"Your parents are in Azkaban too?" Harry asked the girl.

"Yes. My mother is Bellatrix Lestrange, you might have read about her on 'The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts'. She did not deny the Dark Lord and was tossed in that hell, along with my father." she grinned "Our association will quite spread rumours. Both of us with Death Eaters parents who are in Azkaban being tormented by Dementors. It is rather sad, huh?"

Harry just shrugged. He was curious about why his parents had joined the Dark Lord, but he knew that he would only know that if he ever saw them out of Azkaban, and from he had read about the prison, that was almost impossible.

.

First day of classes was being interesting. First class was Transfiguration. Harry found the subject fascinating, and McGonagall was a very capable teacher, although it was clear that the witch disliked him. She favoured her own house fiercely, that much was clear. They did not practice anything, but the theory of Transfiguration was very interesting.

Charms was... A little boring, the theory, contrary on Transfiguration's, was tiresome, but Harry believed that the practice would pay off. Professor Flitwick was sympathetic and treated the Slytherins fairly well, though he sometimes showed some preference for his own house. Harry guessed that the four Heads of Houses did that.

Now they were waiting for Defence Against the Dark Arts to start, class that they shared with the Gryffindors. Cassiopeia despised Professor Black, and the others Slytherins did not like him any better. Harry was waiting eagerly to encounter the man who was his godfather, he wanted to see if he would be hostile as his house-mates suggested.

"Good afternoon." Black said walking in and slamming the door shut behind him. "I am Professor Sirius Black and I will, as you should already know, teach you Defence Against the Dark Arts. Some of you might have already dabbled with such dangerous magic." he stared at the Slytherins, especially Harry and Cassiopeia. The Gryffindors snickered. "Here you will learn how dangerous are these Arts, and how to defend yourselves against them. Any questions?"

One Gryffindor girl timidly raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss...?" Sirius asked.

"Orsson." she said and proceeded to question. "Is it true that you are an animagus?"

"Yes, Miss Orsson, I take the form of a dog."

"Cool!" she replied. Cassiopeia rolled her eyes.

"Anyone else?"

"Is it true that you were James Potter's best friend?" a fat Gryffindor boy asked.

Black's face clouded instantly, and Harry thought that the boy would eat a hex, but the professor's only response was a cold 'yes'.

"And how did you feel when he became a Death Eater?" the boy insisted. Didn't lions know when to stop?

"How I felt?" Sirius muttered. "I felt betrayed. I turned from my family to do what was right and then my best friend suddenly decided to be a _filthy_ dark wizard who grovelled at You-Know-Who's feet. I felt alone."

Harry felt his blood boil when the man called his father _that_. It was not like if he loved his father, but he missed his family, or the idea of having a family.

"As if he is not the _filthy_ on the Black family." the Lestrange girl mumbled, but Sirius heard it anyway.

"Ten points from Slytherin, Lestrange."

The girl glared icily at Sirius but did not talk back.

And the class went on. Professor Black clearly showed animosity towards the Slytherins and took points from them every time it was possible, never awarding any. Harry was sure that DADA would be the worst class in Hogwarts.

"Potter, stay behind." Sirius spoke at the end of the class.

"We will be waiting outside, Harry." Cassiopeia said. She, Anthony and Septimus stayed out the door waiting for the raven haired boy.

"Yes, professor?" Harry said in the coolest tone he could.

"As you might already know, I am your godfather." Harry made no mention to reply that. Black sighed. "How have you been living during these years, Harry?"

The boy was outraged. The man had the boldness to ask about his life? And call him Harry?

"I don't understand how this is of your concern."

"I am your godfat..."

"And yet you left me. I know that you should have take my custody, but you did not. You sent me to live with the _muggle_" a clear disgust when the word was spoken "relatives of my mother who left me in the doorstep of a _filthy_ muggle orphanage. And you dare call me Harry? It is Potter for you."

"I thought that it would be better if you grew up with muggles, to avoid you walking on your father's steps." Black said in a patronizing voice.

Harry chuckled coolly, the sound chilling Sirius' spine.

"You have no idea how wrong you were in this assumption."

Sirius shook his head in denial.

"I thought we would be able to have a good relationship, Har–Potter."

"I think it is too late for that, professor Black. May I go?" at the man's nod Harry left the class with hard steps.

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"So the _mutt_ wanted to play the little good godfather with you?" Cassiopeia asked in disbelief. "It seems that as much as he tried to deny his blood he cannot. The Black insanity reached him, apparently."

"Black insanity?" Harry asked quizzically.

"It is rumoured that some members of the Black family went mad. Like my mother for example. It was my aunt who told me this." she paused "I wonder how she will be like when she gets out of Azkaban."

"Do you believe it is possible?" Harry asked, now much more interested on the conversation. If Bellatrix could get out of the prison, so could his parents.

"When Bellatrix was arrested she screamed that they could toss her in Azkaban and the Dark Lord would get her out of there." Anthony replied before Cassiopeia.

"But wasn't the Dark Lord gone when she was arrested?" Harry questioned frowning.

The Lestrange raised a suggestive eyebrow and smirked.

"There are rumours that he took measures to make himself immortal." she spoke in a shushed tone.

Harry's eyes widened.

"And you think they are true?"

Cassiopeia shrugged. "Who knows? But I am sure that my parents will get out of that hell, and when they do..." an evil grin "There will be hell to pay."

Harry nodded at the girl and wondered how wonderful would be to have his parents, even if they were maddened by the Dementors.

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As the months passed Harry become really good friends with Cassiopeia; he mused that it was because of their similar situation – extremely loyal Death Eater parents in Azkaban. He was close to Anthony and Septimus too. Among the older Slytherins, however, Harry was not completely accepted. He was already pissed right in the first two weeks, but refrained himself of doing anything against his house-mates.

It was before the Yule break that Harry entered the Slytherin common room, along with Cassiopeia (or Cass as he was calling her now) and he heard Adrian Pucey, a third year, talking about him.

"Potter taints our house. I don't know how he got sorted into Slytherin... The filthy half-blood, son of a mudblood."

"I suggest, Pucey, that you refrain yourself from talking in such disrespectful way of myself or my family." Harry said, startling the third year, who did not expect him to be there.

"Thanks for the suggestion, but I prefer to talk about anyone the way I want." Pucey replied smugly.

"Oh, forgive me, did I give you the impression that you have a choice?" Harry said and chuckled. "Let me put it clear to you. I demand that you stop referring myself or my family in such way."

"You are no one, nothing, Potter, to demand something of anyone here."

"Very well." Harry said calmly. "Don't you ever complain that I did not give you the chance." and then he got out of the common room, his robes behind him in a _snapeish_ way.

Two weeks later Adrian Pucey apologised to Harry in front of several Slytherins. Nobody knew what made him change his mind, and when Harry's friends asked what he did to Pucey he would just shrug and say that maybe Adrian changed his mind. The third years, however, or at least the closest ones to Pucey, seemed to know what Potter did, and fear him.

The other Slytherin who knew what happened was not an student, but the head of house. Pucey had asked him, several nights in a row, for dreamless sleep potion. In the fifth day, Snape gave him the potion, but the boy looked utterly defeated and told him "_I don't know why I keep taking this, the potion does not even work anyway_." The Potions master did not asked Harry to stop, Slytherins would be Slytherins, and that was how the things worked on that house. Moreover, Potter had not even harmed Pucey physically (which was not uncommon between Slytherins).

.

Harry stayed at Hogwarts during Yule break. All of his friends (and the rest of the Slytherins as well) had gone home and he was alone. He used the time to study more advanced books on the classes he was taking, as he was ahead in all of them except Transfiguration, which was a really hard subject, even if he loved it. His passions were Transfiguration and Potions, and he had made a deal with Snape to use his lab during the break if he helped the professor to brew the potions for Madam Pomfrey.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter. Today we will brew dreamless sleep potion, since you were quite the responsible for the depletion of my stocks."

"Good afternoon, sir. I don't know what you mean by that, I do not recall ever asking you dreamless sleep."

Severus smirked widely.

"You did not, Mr. Pucey, however..." he trailed off.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, sir."

"Say what you will, Mr. Potter."

.

Harry received gifts from his friends. Cassiopeia sent him a necklace with a snake pendant. It was made of silver and the snake had emerald eyes – just like Harry's. It had protective charms. Harry loved it.

Anthony sent him a book on the Dark Arts – only an introduction, not really _dark_ stuff. Septimus gave him a Potions knife with the Potter crest. Harry felt bad for not being able to give his friends gifts as well, but he could not leave Hogwarts, so he only sent them letters using their own owls – as he had refused to buy one, something he was already regretting.

Harry received two secret gifts. One was a photo album, with pictures of his parents. It was the first time he ever saw them. Lily was beautiful, her long red hair shone and contrasted with her pale skin. Her eyes were emerald just like his. James was handsome, and everything on him screamed the pureblood aristocracy. Harry found out that his hair had Lily's aspect but with James' colour. They were very happy on the pictures.

In the middle of the album began to appear photos of James and Lily with some friends. Harry recognized his head of house in some of them. One of the pictures contained several people. In its back it was read "Lily and James Potter, Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy, Augustus Rookwood, Anthony Rosier, Diana and Orfeu Shaqif, Severus Snape." Harry laughed. The books described Death Eaters as inhumane persons that only killed and spread destruction. Who would guess that they also took pictures together as normal people? He made a mental note to show the picture to Anthony and Cass.

The other gift was an invisibility cloak. It had a note attached that said "It belonged to your father and was in my possession. It belongs to you now, by right." Harry suspected that it had been Sirius Black who gave him that, as the professor had tried again to approach him during the year. Harry wondered if he was being too harsh on the man.

Of all the gifts, Harry liked the photo album and the necklace the most. They were the most personal.

"Hello, Potter!" Cassiopeia said cheerfully when she entered the common room. Harry rolled his eyes because the girl sometimes insisted in calling him Potter.

"Hello, Cass. How was your break? I loved the necklace, by the way. Thank you very much."

"It was wonderful, I spent the two weeks with my Aunt Cissa and Uncle Lucius, and my cousin, but he is a conceited git."

"Shouldn't all the purebloods be conceited gits?" He teased. "And they are the Malfoys, right?" Harry said recalling the names from the photo.

"Yes."

"Wait here, I have to show you something." Harry said and went to his dorm to take the album.

When he returned, Anthony was there with Cassiopeia as well.

"Hello, Anthony. Thank you for the book, I've already read it, it is quite good."

"You are such a bookworm." Rosier mocked.

"Whatever you will to call me." Harry said. "How was your break?"

"Boring. My parents made me go to a boring ball. I got sick and could not fly. How was yours?"

"Marvellous. I studied a lot. I am currently studying the second year books of Potions, Charms and DADA. Snape allowed me to use his lab to brew."

"Merlin! Your concept of marvellous and mine are quite distant." Cassiopeia said. Harry just shrugged.

"I have something to show you." Harry said opening the album. "Look." he said pointing at the picture.

Cassiopeia brushed her fingers over the figure of her parents. Her expression saddened.

"She is beautiful, isn't she?" Lestrange whispered.

"Yes. And my mother too." Harry muttered.

"You have her eyes." the girl said, her eyes never letting the picture, though she had already seen a lot of pictures of her parents."

Anthony felt unease at the depressed atmosphere that flooded the place.

"I don't know what you think, but my father and Snape are looking rather ridiculous..." The words had the desired effect, Harry and Cassiopeia burst out laughing, and Anthony felt relieved. '_At least they did not cry_.' he thought

.

The remaining of the year passed without affairs. Harry passed his exams with Outstanding except for History of Magic, where he got one Exceed Expectations.

"I am so sorry for you, Harry, having to go back to that horrible orphanage." Cassiopeia said.

"Me too." Anthony added.

"You are not more sorry than I am." Harry replied. He was advised that now there were wards on the orphanage to inform if he performed magic – even the wandless that he used too. He would be defenceless if the other children decided to unite against him.

"Next year Longbottom will come to Hogwarts, it will be hell." Septimus whined.

Harry snorted. The Boy-Who-Lived would certainly be the new Hogwarts' favourite, and probably an attention seeking brat. But right now he was way more worried with his summer. He sighed and bid his friends farewell. Cassiopeia would send a letter and lent an owl to Harry during the summer, so he could contact his friends whenever he wanted – or needed.

He felt his heart clench at the idea of leaving Hogwarts. The place was where he really felt at home. The school was his sanctuary.

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><p>Yes, it is a bit rushed, but seriously, there was nothing too important to happen on Harry's first year, so it took only one chapter. Let me know what you think. ;) Next chapter we will meet the boy-who-lived and... Professor Quirrell.<p> 


	2. A Mentor, A Lord and A Stone

**Hello! Here is chapter 2. I hope you like it ;)**

**Chapter 2 – A Mentor, A Lord and A Stone**

Harry was having a feeling of dread since he came back to St. John's Orphanage. He knew something would happen, he could feel people plotting against him. He guessed that the aurors that warded the place – who probably hated a Death Eaters' son – had the pleasure to inform that he would not be able to do anything _freakish_ there again.

Harry was not stupid, he knew that he could not defend himself from most of the older boys, so he stayed inside of his room as much as possible, only getting out to meals, use the bathroom and take showers. But he knew that sooner or later he would get caught. He had always relayed on his magic, and was berating himself for never trying to learn muggle fight. '_You are a wizard, Harry, you will not lower yourself at such level_.' sounded Cassiopeia's voice on his head. At least he had his Potions' knife, should anything get out of control. '_Harry Potter you will not stab the other children_.' Sounded a voice like McGonagall's on his head (the Transfiguration professor's voice was the one he used when correcting himself, or even Snape's).

In the same day he returned he received Cass' letter. It would be wonderful having someone to talk to during all the summer. He had grown used to having company, even if he was not open with his friends; trust was not something he gave easily, but it was good to have someone to talk to.

It had been a week since he was back. He had sent letters to Cassiopeia, Anthony and Septimus talking about trivial things. It was late, and he thought that using the bathroom would be OK. How wrong he was.

He exited the bathroom when suddenly something hit him in the chest. Someone grabbed his arms and held them on his back. Then there was a punch on his stomach which made him lose the ability to breath for some instants. His magic was trying to flare and defend him, but he controlled it. He would take it without retaliation, as it would be much worse to be expelled from Hogwarts.

"This is for those nightmares, you worthless freak!" Andrew Stevenson, a fourteen years boy said. "Can't defend yourself now, Potty?" then he spat on Harry's face, following by a knee on the smaller boy's stomach.

"Those men came and told us how your parents are two criminals that are locked up in a prison being tortured. They preferred to be arrested instead of having to raise a pathetic _weak_ like you!" another boy said and then kicked Harry's legs. "And they made it very clear that you should pay for being such a jerk for all these years."

There was a blow on his face and then everything went dark.

When Harry woke up on his room his stomach was hurting a lot, and his head as well. He felt something dripping on his chin, and the metallic taste on his mouth. The blow on his face had been really vicious, and he had cuts on his mouth.

He cursed the aurors... Oh! One day he would find out who put those wards on the orphanage and make them pay dearly. He cursed the light wizards who loved muggles as if they were God's gift to the Earth. He cursed Sirius Black, who could had taken him and instead left him living in that fucking muggle hell hole.

Harry hated himself in that moment. He was _better_ than muggles. How could he be subjected to such treatment? He made a decision. When he felt better he would go to Knockturn Alley (a place that Cassiopeia told him about) and find someone or something to bring down those wards. He had enough money from his trust vault to pay for the work. A sinister smile appeared on his lips at the thought of how things would be when the wards fell.

.

Harry stood on his room for two days, until he was feeling better. On the third day he silently got out and walked out of the orphanage. He took a taxi to the Leaky Cauldron. He passed through Diagon Alley and went directly to Knockturn. First he decided to buy some books in a place called Borgin and Burkes. When he was paying for them, he decided to ask the owner of the place – Borgin – if he knew of anything that could help him with the wards.

Mr. Borgin analysed the boy. If he was asking how to bring down wards of the ministry on his home so he could perform magic it meant he was a mudblood...

"What is your name, child?"

"Harry Potter."

Borgin's eyes widened. So he was not a mudblood, but the son of James Potter...

"I have something for you..." he trailed off.

Harry smiled "If you think money is a problem you don't need to worry yourself. I assure you that I have enough."

"Good. You will need two things. The first is lifting the trace on your wand. This is simple and can be done here by the price of forty galleons. This will allow you to perform magic anywhere but the place that is warded, and it also allows you to erase spells from your wand, so a Priori Incantatem will not show whatever..._ Questionable_ spell you use."

"Right, and the other thing?"

"The other thing is way more expensive. It will cost you a hundred galleons. It is a stone ward. You will place it on the muggle orphanage and it then the whole place will be warded. The Ministry wards will be still in place, as the aurors would be notified if they were taken down. However, the stone will not allow any alert to reach the Ministry."

"Right. I want both." Harry said hurriedly.

Mr. Borgin called a man – Mr. Virtanen – to perform a ritual on Harry's wand.

"Quite interesting, Mr. Potter. Yew and Basilisk Blood. I wander what possessed Ollivander to craft such a dark wand." Virtanen said. He quickly muttered some word. A glow flashed in the place and he returned Harry's wand. "Use it well, Potter." Harry nodded and took the wand back.

Borgin gave Harry the stone.

"This is a dark artifact, Mr. Potter. Don't you ever dream about taking it to Hogwarts. The headmaster would discover in a heartbeat."

"Thank you Mr. Borgin." Harry paid for everything and left.

He decided to go to the apothecary too. Even if he would be able to use his magic for protection, he would buy some healing potions – better safe than sorry. Only that he decided to go in the apothecary in Knockturn instead of Diagon.

"_Liquid Cruciatus._" Harry read the label on the vial. That was the wonderful thing about Potions, just as Professor Snape said in the first class "_Many of you will not even believe this is magic..._", people underestimated the art of Potions making. He was reaching for the bottle when he heard someone clearing the throat behind him. He turned around to see his Potions professor there.

"Mr. Potter. What a surprise."

"I could say the same, sir."

"What brings you here, Mr. Potter?"

"I just wanted to buy some nutritional potions, sir. I think I am lacking vitamins." Snape raised his eyebrow at the obvious lie. "And you, sir?"

"I see. So you should look elsewhere, I assure you that Liquid Cruciatus would do no good to you." he paused. "And what I am doing here is none of your concern."

"I know that it would do no good _for me_, sir." Harry said sardonically before he could stop himself. However, he always felt something... Well, dark (obviously, the man was a Death Eater, wasn't he?) and sincere on the Potions professor, and he had a feeling that the man would not denounce him. He did not even punish Harry about the thing with Pucey...

Severus merely stared at the child. So many things he did not understand. Why Lily turned dark? Why her son was already so dark? How could he perform the wandless and wordless magic that Minerva told him about? He knew that the Dark Lord was not gone – or the Dark Mark would have disappeared – and by the time he was risen again he would need more followers. Potter was on the right path to be a Death Eater as illustrated his magic inclination and his hatred by all things muggle and muggleborns who did not want to accept the wizarding culture.

But he knew that there was more than that in his will to mentor the child. He knew that Harry would learn whatever he wanted by himself, but he was Lily's child. When she finally got out of Azkaban she would thank him for taking care of the boy – if she was still sane enough, it is. Severus had accepted that Lily did not love him the same way he loved her, but they were still friends, and he felt he owed her that. Hence the motive why he sent Harry the photo album as a gift.

Next year Longbottom would be at Hogwarts, and Dumbledore would be so worried with his golden boy to watch anything else. Perhaps he could take Potter under his wing and teach him some things, starting with Occlumency, obviously.

"Mr. Potter, do buy your potions and let's go somewhere we can talk."

Harry quickly took the potions he needed – he gave up on buying the Cruciatus one – and followed the professor to a restaurant in Diagon alley.

Snape put some privacy and notice me not charms around their table.

"Mr. Potter I am aware of your not so legal activities." when he perceived the emerald eyes hardening he added "I am not telling you this because I disapprove them, nor do I intend to denounce them to anyone. However, I am disposed to teach you some things that Hogwarts' curriculum does not cover." What an understatement for _'I want to teach you the Dark Arts.'_ "If you are interested that is."

Harry was ecstatic. Was Snape really offering to teach him illegal things? The man was a Death Eater, Potter he could only imagine the knowledge he had. Harry guessed that most people underestimated Snape because he was a Potions master, but it was obvious – to anyone with little sensibility – that the man was a powerful wizard. Yes, he could easily learn from books, but learning from the man would be way more fun. Perhaps he could even teach him how to duel.

"I would like very much sir." Harry said with a neutral voice, though he was cheering inside.

"Very well. When the school resumes we will decide when your lessons will happen. However, I have a little project for you during the summer. In order for me to teach you anything, you will need to keep this a secret."

"I would never dream of telling anyone, sir." Harry quickly said.

"I know, Mr. Potter. However, there are a form of mind magic that allows one to enter other's mind. It is called Legilimency. Professor Dumbledore, like myself, is an skilled legilimens, and it would be better if he remained unaware of your extra curricular lessons. To defend oneself against Legilimency, it is required to learn Occlumency. It is a hard piece of magic, very few can master it, and it takes years to accomplish this. You will study Occlumency during the summer."

Harry had not heard about mind magic, and was glad that the professor told him about that. He would not want, at all, anyone knowing about what he would do to the children in the orphanage or the things he intended to study... Or the way he was humiliated by muggles.

"I understand, sir."

"Good. I will owl you and send some books on Occlumency. I've heard you are quite fond of books, I expect you to read all of them during the summer, and practice the things I will point you."

Then they ordered their meals. Harry thought that half of the Hogwarts population would have a heart attack if they saw Severus Snape, resident bat, git of Slytherin, having lunch with a student... On second thought, though, Harry reckoned it was not that weird. Really weird would be if he was eating with a Gryffindor – or a Hufflepuff for that matter.

.

As promised, Snape owled him and sent him three books about Occlumency. Harry put them aside just for one day. Today he would get his revenge on Stevenson.

He placed the stone ward under his bed. He could feel magic – _Dark_ magic – pouring from it. He cast a _Lumos_ and waited twenty minutes to see if any reaction from the Ministry happened. When it didn't, he grinned widely and got out of the room. He walked silently towards Andrew's room.

"_Incarcerous. Silencio._" Harry muttered. Those spells were second year ones, and he was proud to have mastered both of them, he knew that the magic he used before was something wild, without refinement, even if it was powerful. He was happy for using proper spells. He poked Stevenson's shoulder to wake him up.

"Hello Andrew. How are you?" Harry let out a cruel, cold chuckle. "I forgot you cannot talk."

The boy's blue eyes were shining with terror, utter fear. Harry loved the sight, now he could understand why Voldemort made his own name feared over Britain. It was amazing to see people fearing you.

"I thought we were friends, Andrew..." Harry said a faked sad tone. "All these years living here." he waved his hand "Alas, I was wrong. Right now I am angry at you."

Harry got up and paced around the room. Andrew followed every of his steps.

"You called me a weak." Potter's voice was cold. "And now here you are... Incapacitated by a younger boy. What would you call yourself now?"

"Understand one thing, Stevenson. I am better than you. Accept this and stay out of my way. Now, I will try something on you." Harry said, remembering what he read on the book Anthony gave him about the intent and the use of emotions on the Dark Arts. So he concentrated on the other boy's right arm and used his wand to refine the magic. Andrew squirmed on the ropes that held him when his arm was broken. He would have screamed if he wasn't silenced.

"Good bye, Stevenson. Have pleasant dreams." he said maliciously, lifted both spells and left the room, running to his room.

Ten minutes later he slept, with a grin on his lips.

.

On the next days Harry studied a lot. Occlumency, as Snape told him, was damn hard. He had a great difficult with concentrating in clearing his mind. He was too excited that his thoughts would just trail off. He studied Transfiguration too, and Charms. He was now on the books used on third year. He looked on the books he bought at Borgin and Burkes too – about the Dark Arts.

Dark Magic was something fascinating. It was Magic linked to human emotions. Harry thought that it made that branch of Magic the most natural for everyone. So what if the majority of the Dark Arts had the purpose of hurting people and destroying things? It seemed that humans had the difficulty to accept that sometimes someone wanted to hurt others. It was natural, just as much the need to love and to be loved. If someone did not want to be harmed by a dark wizard or witch so they should learn how to defend themselves. They should seek power.

As the weeks passed he made some progress in occluding. He could clear his mind for five minutes, and build a shield – even if it was weak – and sustain it for a minute or so. It was not much, but was Harry's best at the moment.

He guessed that mastering Occlumency would help to learn the Dark Arts. He would be able to deal with his own feelings, and summon them when they were needed to cast a powerful dark spell.

The letters his friends sent him were also keeping him cheerful. Cassiopeia complained all the time about her cousin – Draco Malfoy – saying that he was an arrogant git, who would be unbearable in Hogwarts. Anthony was in France with his parents – their family origin was French – and he described Paris to Harry, which made the little boy envy his friend. He wanted family trips too. Septimus whined all the time about having to study during summer – apparently his parents were not happy about his tests results (he had got three E's), and his sister, who had better grades, traveled to Egypt with her aunt and uncle.

.

Harry met Septimus and his sister Maya, along with their parents, on Diagon Alley to buy his school supplies. It was a sunny day and they decided to have ice cream before going to Madame Malkin's to buy new robes.

"He is here!" ... "I saw the scar!" ... "It is Longbottom!" ... "Does he really have the scar?"

They heard people screaming because the Boy Who Lived was there.

"What an unfortunate day to be here." Septimus said.

"What do you know about Longbottom?" Harry asked. The books did not go into details about what happened with Neville Longbottom after he survived the killing curse in the same night his parents were killed. Harry even wanted to know the boy – to find out if he would be the spoiled brat with delusions of greatness because of his fame as Harry suspected.

"Some people say he was being trained in secret by Dumbledore." Maya said quietly. Her parents rolled their eyes.

"He lives with his grandmother, Augusta Longbottom. She is, obviously, not very active in the pureblood circles we frequent. It is said that they are very good friends with the Abbotts, Weasleys, MacMillians." Mrs. Avery said.

Harry nodded. All those families were known as blood traitors. The idea that someone from the wizarding world _liked_ the company of muggles was beyond his comprehension, or even to be with mudbloods... But he preferred the term '_magic traitors_', given that blood, as long as magical, was all the same for Harry. He guessed that families like that never had really been close to a muggle in their whole lives... Or that they were masochists... Or that his own luck with muggles was bad.

Some minutes passed before Longbottom walked over where they were. His grandmother was with him, and they were walking quickly, as if trying to avoid all the attention the boy was being given. There were also a redhead woman and boy besides them. When the woman looked at the table where Harry and the Averys were she spoke aloud.

"Oh, let's get out of here, Augusta. Neville doesn't need to be around these people." the woman spoke.

Lord and Lady Avery only smirked slightly. As though they would want the Boy-Who-Lived anywhere in their sight's reach.

After finishing their ice creams, they went to Madame Malkin's and then to Flourish and Blots to buy their new books.

Harry quickly sorted the required books and started to look for extra ones. He bought one about pureblood families, wanting to know more about his own. In the section of Defence he bought one entirely about shields.

"It's a ve-very in-in-te-te-teresting book, lad." someone stuttered behind Harry and he looked over his shoulder to see who was bothering him. It was a man using a ridiculous purple turban.

"So it seems." Harry answered politely.

"Do-do you li-like to study De-de-de-fence-ce?" the man asked.

"It's not bad, but I prefer Potions and Transfiguration." Harry replied, now a bit annoyed.

"Hey, Harry, there you are!" Septimus said. "My parents want to know if you are ready to go."

"Yes, I am. I just need to pay for these books." he turned to the man. "Good bye, Mr...?"

"Quirrell, Quirinus Quirrell. N-n-new pr-pro-professor of De-de-de-fence Ag-ag-against the Dark Arts in Hogwarts."

Harry's mouth formed an 'O'. So it meant that he would not need to see Black every week any more? It was good, but, on the other hand, Quirrell looked like, and most likely _was_ an idiot.

"Pleasure to meet you, professor. I am Harry Potter."

Quirrell's eyebrows went up. Same old thing – people dreading to meet the son of the traitor James Potter.

"Good bye, sir." Harry said and walked away.

_._

"Longbottom, Neville." McGonagall called and the Great Hall burst out in whispers. Harry rolled his eyes. Cassiopeia snorted and Anthony made some joke about what if the golden boy ended in the snake pit.

The hat took some time before shouting "GRYFFINDOR!". The lions table clapped, screamed and whistled. Minerva had a smug smile on her face when she took off the hat from Neville's head.

"So predictable." Cass complained. "I mean, must all _defeater_" the word said in a mocking tone "of Dark Lords be a reckless Gryffindor?"

Harry looked over the Head Table and saw Professor Quirrell staring at the Gryffindor table, specifically, staring at Longbottom. There was something... Intense on the teacher's eyes, something Harry could not identify. It was a little creepy. Snape was staring at the boy too, his mouth contorted in a faint sneer.

When Draco Malfoy was called Cassiopeia snorted.

"Why don't you like him?" Harry asked.

"He is arrogant for nothing. He thinks that just because he is a Malfoy he has the right to get everything he wants from anyone. But the worse is his temper, it is uncontrolled and will get him in trouble, you'll see. He will end up in Slytherin, but I would not be surprised if he went elsewhere with his inconsequential attitude."

When the hat was placed on Malfoy's head he immediately had a panicked expression, and seemed to be arguing with the hat. Harry raised his eyebrows. Indeed, the boy did not seem master the emotionless mask the other purebloods did. After some minutes the blonde boy's face became calm, composed and the hat shouted "SLYTHERIN!".

Harry paid no much attention to the rest of the sorting, and neither to Dumbledore's speech – something about a painful death and the third floor.

When they were in the common room – after Snape's usual speech – Draco Malfoy, accompanied by Crabbe, Goyle, Nott and Zabini, approached Harry, Cassiopeia, Anthony and Septimus, who were sitting in a corner chatting.

"So it is true." Malfoy spat looking at his cousin. "You are mixing with a half-blood..."

"Draco, need I remember you what your parents told about _this_?" she replied in a patronizing voice.

"My parents always taught me to know my place. You _embarrass_ me, Cassiopeia." he paused and looked at Harry with disregard. "I don't know what you are doing here, Potter. Your mudblood of mother and blood traitor of father probably deceived the Dark Lord..." several gasps flooded the room.

Harry was stunned. Just exactly how idiot was that boy? He cleared his throat loudly and stood up, looking down at Draco.

"Do you want to talk about my family?" he asked rhetorically. "Let's talk about your, about your father. He was a Death Eater, wasn't he?"

"He was under the _Imperius_..." Malfoy pitifully spoke.

"Is daddy too weak to break a _Imperius_?" Harry mocked.

"It was the Dark Lord's curse..."

"The same Dark Lord that, according to you, was fooled by my parents?" before the blonde could answer that Harry continued. "Or is daddy too coward to assume his doings?"

Draco was speechless. He did not know what was worse – his father being weak or coward.

"Understand one thing, Malfoy. I don't care about who you are, how much money you have and much less about your blood, do not ever think you are better than me because of that. You will learn this, Draco Malfoy. It's up to you to decide if the easy or the hard way."

Draco did not know what to reply. His father had always taught him that he was a pureblood, and a Malfoy. He would rule Slytherin and he was better than a half-blood. He did not know why Lucius told him to respect Harry Potter. He was son of a mudblood! '_She is a muggleborn, Draco, not a mudblood. I've already told you the difference._' His father's voice sounded. The boy really wanted to know why his father respected James and Lily Potter... But he had an uncontrolled temper, and he would not be talked that way by a half-blood...

So he sent a stinging hex – which he wasn't even supposed to know – at Harry, who immediately put up a shield – which was a second year shield.

Harry raised one eyebrow.

"So it will be the hard way." Harry said quietly and leaned towards Draco and whispered on his ear. "You should avoid me from now on, perhaps you will even seek to do it by yourself, but don't forget that I know where you sleep. Welcome to Slytherin."

Draco paled. Hell, he wasn't supposed to feel intimidated by Potter, but he was. The way the green eyed boy had spoken was cold, menacing and a little terrifying. He gulped and said nothing more, walking away from Potter and his friends as quickly as possible. He saw Adrian Pucey, a fourth year, looking at him with a malicious gleam on his eyes.

"You've never told me that he didn't like me, Cass." Harry said.

"I expected him to behave a little more... Malfoyishly. His father would be deeply disappointed with this stunt." then she narrowed her eyes "What did you tell him to make him pale?"

"I just told him to avoid me."

Septimus and Anthony snickered, while the girl giggled.

"Poor cousin." she said, but without any pity on her voice.

.

The start of the term was peaceful. Harry would meet Professor Snape every Thursday to test how much he was progressing on Occlumency. Snape told him that he wasn't capable of keeping any average legilimens out of his mind, but that he would at least notice if someone tried to. The professor _forbade_ him to practice any Dark Magic out of their particular classes. It was _not_ something to play with carelessly.

Septimus and Anthony tried to get in the Quidditch team. Harry watched their try outs. But they did not get in the team, though, since Draco Malfoy was decided to almost buy his entrance – and his friends'. It seemed that Longbottom saved a classmate on their Flying class and McGonagall decided to allow him in the Gryffindor team. Malfoy could not, of course, let the boy-who-lived have something he himself did not. Really, Draco was such a spoiled brat that brought shame to Slytherin.

Harry would do nothing to Draco for the time being. The blonde should already know that Harry was not someone to just mess with, most likely after hearing the rumors about Pucey. Harry would wait, and prepare the comeuppance slowly, like a potion. Revenge was good, of course, but making the enemy wait and wonder when the attack will come was _sweeter_.

Everything was peaceful, until one night when Harry and Cassiopeia were coming back from the library after curfew. They were, of course, using Harry's invisibility cloak.

Professor Quirrell – the idiot useless professor of DADA was walking towards what Anthony called the '_Forbidden Floor_'. Then Professor Snape came and started to talk to Quirrell with a harsh tone he used when berating some Gryffindor, though he barely talked louder than a whisper.

"I know you are after the stone, Quirrell," Snape hissed.

"I d-d-do-do-don't know w-what you're t-t-tal-talking about, Professor Snape." Harry rolled his eyes. It was extremely annoying to hear to Quirrell's stutters.

"Oh, but you do!" Snape pointed a finger on Quirrell's face. "I will not allow a stupid one like you to continue with whatever ridiculous plans you might have."

"Will you not, Severusss?" Quirrell replied with a different voice, and without the annoying stuttering. Snape paled instantly, his mouth opening and closing while he remained speechless, gaping like a fish.

"_My Lord_?" he asked hesitantly.

Harry noticed that Quirrell's eyes were shinning red, crimson. He wondered if Cassiopeia saw it too or if he was just seeing things.

"Be careful, Severus, when you call someone 'My Lord' without being entirely sure of who they are. I expected better from you, my dear one."

Snape gulped and started to kneel on the floor, but Quirrell stopped him.

"Do not bow or kneel here." Quirrell hissed. Harry and Cass were watching the scene in deadly silence.

"My Lord, if you allow my boldness, what are you doing here at Hogwarts, right under Dumbledore's nose?"

"I want the stone, obviously, and I want to watch Longbottom... And other students too, of course." he sighed "This body does not provide all the power I need for my magic, alas. Tell me, Severus, besides the obvious ones, did anyone betrayed me?"

"Only Karkaroff, but you aware of that. I do not know of anyone else. Lucius is anxious, though, since the Mark burned some weeks ago, when you possessed Quirrell, I believe."

Quirrell chuckled.

"Lucius... I confess myself disappointed with him with that excuse that I held him under the Imperius, and with his offspring as well..." he said dryly. "But enough of this. Now you know who is after the stone. Do _not_ interfere in this matter. Longbottom and his useless friends think _you_ are trying to steal it, and they plan to stop you."

Snape's lips twitched, and he almost, _almost_ smiled.

"Keep an eye on our Slytherins, Severus; there are some quite interesting students... Like Potter," he paused and looked at Severus with a shy smirk "Although you are already training him I believe."

"Do you wish me to stop?"

"No, not at all. However, do not extend this treatment to anyone else."

"As you wish. And should I tell anyone about you, My Lord?"

"No, tell no one. Now go, Severus." Snape nodded and walked away.

Harry and Cassiopeia were mortified. That conversation only meant one thing: Voldemort was inside Hogwarts, under Dumbledore's nose, teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts – oh, the irony!

The two second years got back to their common room. They were pale and looking shocked. Anthony frowned and asked what happened. Harry and the girl exchanged one look that sealed a pact, a pact of silence. It would do no good to spread over the whole Slytherin House that the Dark Lord was their teacher. Harry shrugged and said that nothing was wrong, and Lestrange only confirmed it. The Rosier boy wasn't, of course, convinced, but did not argue.

.

Harry was curious. What was the stone that Quirr–Voldemort and Snape were talking about? Why did he want this? And how Longbottom - who wasn't a so brilliant boy – knew about that?

He found Cassiopeia's new attitude amusing. Every time someone criticized or mocked Professor Quirrell the girl would cringe and lower her head to hide a glare. Secretly, both were now and then trading cheerful looks. The Dark Lord was rising again – one way or another – and soon their parents would be free.

Harry decided to talk with some first year about Longbottom and his friends, the Granger girl and one of the Weasleys. He chose Theodore Nott, who wasn't so devoted to Malfoy and had some brains.

Nott told him that Granger seemed to be the person who did most of the intelligence work on the trio. The Slytherin first year also said that he heard the three often talked about Professor Snape and something about a stone and Nicholas Flamel. Apparently, the golden trio was much _noisier_ than they thought, because Harry was sure that they did not intend in anyone listening to their conversations.

"Nicholas Flamel." Harry said and Cassiopeia raised one eyebrow, questioning what the hell he was talking about. "Nott told me that Longbottom and his friends were talking about his man. Do you know what does it mean?"

She narrowed her eyes, thinking.

"No, but let's see what we find out in the Library."

After some hours they finally had their answer.

"The Sorcerer Stone." Harry said and pointed a page in the book he was reading. "Flamel created the Sorcerer Stone."

Cassiopeia paled severely, and then she laughed softly.

"Do you know what is the Sorcerer Stone, Harry?"

"I've just found out," he replied and repeated the information he just read. "It is said that it produces gold and he elixir of life."

"And this thing is here, and _he_ is here..." she said in awe. "This is wonderful!"

"Yes, but Longbottom suspects that someone wants to steal it..." Harry eyed suspiciously the place they were and got up. "Let's get out of here. We eavesdropped, Nott did it to; we don't want our conversation being overheard too."

When they arrived in the common room Anthony and Septimus questioned where they were, and what they were doing. Cassiopeia told them that Harry and her were only studying Transfiguration. The two boys did not believe her.

.

Another thing that kept Harry curious was why Sirius Black was not in Hogwarts any more. It was on Halloween that he received an owl from the man, saying that he was sorry and if they could start over their relationship. Black was devoted, Harry gave him the credit.

Harry mused that perhaps Sirius quit because of him... But it would be an enormous _coincidence_ that he resigned and Quirrell - possessed by the Dark Lord - substituted him.

Was it possible to turn Sirius Black away from the Light? Perhaps Harry could give the man a chance and work on a plan of his own. And it would be good if Harry could convince his godfather to tell him about his parents. Besides, he would have access to the Black Library if he ever put his feet on the man's house – Grimmauld Place, as Cassiopeia told him.

All in all, Harry's second year was going as smoothly as it could when Voldemort was his _teacher_ – and it wasn't as though the Dark Lord could make it funnier, right? Not in a place where Dumbledore was the headmaster. Harry was glad that Professor Snape was not testing his Occlumency shields with frequency, and had given him more time to strengthen them; Potter was afraid that his professor might found out about the conversation he and Cassiopeia weren't, _at all_, supposed to hear.

In the Sanhaim night Harry and Cassiopeia were following the Longbottom, who was surprisingly alone. They saw him sneaking in an empty classroom. He stood there for about fifteen minutes, and when he got out, with red eyes that showed he had been crying, Granger was there looking for him.

"Neville what happened?" Granger asked worried.

"It's just that I found a mirror..." he said sadly.

"And?"

"It didn't show my reflection. It showed me and my parents. We were so happy, Hermione."

"Oh, Nev, I am so sorry."

"It's okay, I should be used to this right now, shouldn't I?" he said miserably. "I mean, they died so long ago, and I don't even know how it feels to have parents. I shouldn't miss them so much."

Hermione sighed and patted Neville's shoulder.

"There's nothing wrong in missing your parents, Neville. It's just that you love them very much, right?" he nodded. "As I am sure they loved you."

"Thanks 'Mione."

Granger smiled softly, reassuring Neville.

"Now let's go to the feast, I don't think Snape is going to steal the stone tonight, he was in the Great Hall."

Longbottom sighed and accompanied Hermione.

"That was... Sad." Cassiopeia said as a matter of fact.

"Oh, please Cass, you are going soft!" Harry replied dryly, though he also felt something... _Sympathy_? For Longbottom. "Now let's go to the feast, Anthony and Septimus must be wondering where we are; and Longbottom and Granger are not going to do anything today."

Indeed, Neville and Hermione did nothing that night regarding the Sorcerer Stone, nor did Snape, obviously; but _someone else_ did.


	3. Of Freedom and Captivity

**Hello people! Before starting the chapter I'd like to say just one thing: please do not look at Dumbledore in this chapter (or any other, for that matter) as the usual bad, super manipulative bastard we often see in fanfictions. I have nothing against stories that bash the headmaster (I'm even writing two in which he is deeply bashed) but this is not my objective here. Yes, he will manipulate Neville a little, alike what he does with Harry in canon, but all in all he will not be a bad guy. It is not my intent to paint Albus like a mega evil just to make Voldy look better. But yes, he might put personal interests of some characters below the 'greater good' (I would do the same on his shoes.)**

**Chapter 3 - Of Freedom and Captivity**

On the afternoon of November 1st several things were... Off. The first signal that Harry noticed was that three particular Gryffindors were looking miserable. They were merely touching their lunch. Hermione Granger also looked furious, though, and was staring at the Head table, particularly glaring at Professor Snape.

The second thing that Harry noticed was the headmaster also looking... Well, displeased. He had a grave expression, one that indicated that something really bad happened.

Harry had missed breakfest that day, so he didn't know when that strange Gryffindor behaviour started.

The third odd thing... Well, Professor Quirrell wasn't present.

Harry saw that Theodore Nott was staring at him, as if wondering if he was the responsible for all those things.

"Something happened in the Golden Trio today." Anthony suddenly said.

"I wonder if they lost some points or something like that... Just look how Professor Snape is looking... I would say almost cheerful - for Snape, it is - and staring back at Granger. And McGonagall looks furious, and she is glaring at Professor Snape too." Septimus replied.

Oh... That Harry did not notice.

"Did you see Quirrell on the breakfest?" Harry asked quietly.

"No, he wasn't there." Anthony answered.

Harry narrowed his eyes and didn't perceive Cassiopeia looking at him meaningfully. He gulped when he put two and two together - what wasn't all that difficult.

"Something happened." Lestrange said.

"Definitely." Harry agreed quietly and decided to have a talk with Nott. He walked towards the first years, receiving some stares.

"Nott, may I speak with you?"

Harry got back to seat with his friends, and Theodore accompanied him.

"What do you know about Longbottom and his odd behaviour?"

"I know that they lost a lot of points." He said cautiously. "Forty points each."

Harry smirked delighted.

"Professor Snape took the points, I believe?" Nott nodded. "Well, that explains a lot. Do you know why they lost the points?"

"Draco says that they were in the third floor early on the morning, before breakfest. They were late for Potions, our first class, and Snape took more ten points each."

"And how Malfoy knows where they were?"

"Because he was there too."

Harry raised his eyebrows. He needed to know what Malfoy was up to. How did the brat know where the Golden Trio would be? And just how much he knew about Quirrell?

"Thank you for the information, Nott." Harry said and turned to face Cassiopeia, who was grinning widely and almost... Bouncing with happiness.

"I don't understand why Dumbledore and McGonagall are so upset, it's just points." Septimus said.

"One hundred and fifty points in just one morning, Septimus." Anthony added. "It's a lot. Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape are always fighting a war for points, it's natural that she didn't like it. Imagine how our head of house would be if, Merlin forbid, three stupid students lost fifty points each in one morning."

"That doesn't explain why the headmaster is upset too." Avery mumbled.

"He is a Gryffindor and must be loathing that his precious golden boy did something wrong," Cassiopeia said. "Nothing surprising."

"Yeah..." Septimus aquiesced, but then he stared at the empty seat in the head table pensively. "It doesn't explain why Quirrell is missing."

"Perhaps he is dead," Septimus spoke mockingly. "I mean, Dumbledore did tell that whoever ventured themselves in the third floor would meet a painful death. Perhaps he was there to stop the three idiotic Gryffindors of doing whatever they were doing and died. He didn't seem very smart or powerful..."

Harry shrugged and laughed feebly.

"Pity it wasn't Longbottom who died." Lestrange said and resumed to devote all her attention to her meal.

.

"I still don't understand why you did not use the mirror, Albus." Minerva said exasperated. Several members of the staff nodded in agreement with the witch.

"I was going to, Minerva." Dumbledore defeated spoke. "Quirrell's trap should be difficult enough..."

"And it was, oh, wait! It was Quirrell who stole the stone." Snape said sardonically. "Honestly, headmaster, we finished our traps last week, you had enough time to set everything."

"And now who knows where Quirrell is and how to get the stone back," Sprout muttered.

"What I don't understand is how Mr. Longbottom knew that someone had stole the stone and tried to avoid it," Flitwick spoke.

Dumbledore exchanged one look with McGonagall, but no one except Severus noticed it.

"And how Severus and Minerva knew where the three Gryffindors were," Pomona added.

"Severus was patrolling the corridors," Dumbledore said quietly "and Minerva and I had spells to alert if someone went after the stone."

"So you didn't trust all of us?" Filius asked dryly. "Serves you right to have the damned stone stolen by someone in the staff. Perhaps next time you should trust the right ones!"

"I have to agree, headmaster." Snape said.

Flitwick, Snape and Sprout were less than happy, and Dumbledore decided to finish the meeting before any fight began.

"I merely tried to not overburden you; Minerva is my deputy headmistress and would be responsible should I'd needed to be out of the castle. Now you may go," the headmaster said with a gentle voice "Severus and Minerva I need to speak with you."

After Filius and Pomona left Albus cast more powerful privacy spells and turned to face Snape with a grave expression.

"What is it, Albus?" the Potions professor asked.

Dumbledore sighed and looked at McGonagall, nodding slightly for her to talk.

"You don't know how Neville knew that the stone was stolen, do you, Severus?" the witch questioned in a tone that indicated that something bad, really bad happened.

"No." Severus replied warily. "You don't mean that it was Longbottom who hel-"

"Of course not, Severus!" Minerva cut him off. "I don't know what possessed you to say such thing!" she took a deep breath before continuing. "Neville told me, when we were alone in my office, after you took the points," she said in an accusing tone and Snape rolled his eyes. "that he saw something whilst sleeping."

Snape tilted his head and looked at her as if telling 'Are you serious?''.

"Don't look at me like that, Snape! He told me that his scar hurt when he woke up and that in his dream he was holding the stone and feeling... Euphoric."

Severus narrowed his eyes and shifted slightly, his right hand ghosting over his left forearm.

"His scar... Do you mean..." he whispered, his voice almost trembling with fear.

"Yes, Severus, we suspect that Voldemort is behind it." Dumbledore spoke.

Snape adjusted his mental shields, putting feelings of fear, regret and a bit, just a little bit of anger on the forefront of his mind. He looked at the headmaster briefly and took a deep breath.

"Didn't you feel anything earlier?" Albus asked and Snape only shook his head. "Nothing at all, a mild burning sensation?"

"It's my arm, Albus!" Severus snapped. "Do you think I wouldn't notice if the blasted thing burned?!"

"Calm yourself, my boy." Dumbledore said and reached his hand to pat Snape's shoulder. "You are protected within Hogwarts-"

"Protected?" Snape shouted. "Half of Slytherin house would gladly try to kill a traitor should their parents or the Dark Lord himself order!"

Minerva sighed and Dumbledore looked at Severus with sadness.

"We are not sure if it is really You-Know-Who that has the stone." the witch tried to interject.

"It's not your life that is on the line should this suspicion be true!"

"Well, it wasn't me who chose to be branded by a mad psychopath!" she spat.

Once again Snape summoned feelings of regret, this time stronger ones.

"If you fear that your students might try anything, Severus, you could resume the spy duties you had before Voldemort's," Severus winced at the name "downfall. This way you help the Order and can be relatively protected from any Slytherin student."

Severus stared pensively at the ceiling, taking deep breaths.

"I think it is my penance." he said quietly.

"I am sorry for you, Severus."

"I don't want your pity, Albus!" then Snape glanced at Minerva, who was looking at him with a mix of pity and accusation. "Neither yours!"

"I am not pitying you, my boy, but I am sorry that you need to go through all of this because of your past mistake, even if it is a grave mistake," Dumbledore sighed and gave a weak smile "but not everything is lost. You can spy... I know it is a dangerous position," he added quickly. "And you help to prevent that other young souls go through the same path you once did."

"You can't be serious!" Severus said disbelieving. "Do you want me to deviate Slytherins from their own families? It is as wise as trying to Avada Kedrava the Dark Lord himself!"

"I am aware that we cannot reach all of them, Severus. But there are some that could be lead in the right path," he paused, a twinkle on his eyes "Perhaps the ones whose have parents or relatives suffering because of their wrong choices; like Mr. Nott, Ms. Lestrange and Mr. Potter. All of them have parents imprisoned..."

Snape laughed sardonically.

"Do you really believe that the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange, raised by the Malfoys, would listen to me, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore nodded agreeing. Yes, perhaps gaining the girl's trust was dreaming a bit too high.

"But what of Mr. Potter? Lily was your friend, after all."

Minerva snorted.

"I told all of you about the boy, Albus! The women from the orphanage were terrified of him."

"I am aware, Minerva, but we cannot simply give up on the children. Mr. Potter is young and did not grow up in the wizarding world; I believe it is not too late."

"I don't know, Headmaster." Severus breathed. "Potter is very good friends with Ms. Lestrange, the Rosier boy and relatively close to the Avery siblings."

"I told you, Albus, the boy is walking on his parents' steps!" Minerva insisted. "Every now and then I ask where I've gone wrong to have James and Lily deviating so horribly from the Light..."

"You know it is not your fault, Minerva. Power corrupts, unfortunately. Remember young Lily and James and for the memory of the students you once taught and even loved, give young Harry a chance. We cannot simply isolate the children, doing this will only avert them."

"You are right, Albus."

"And Mr. Nott, Severus, what do you say about him?" Dumbledore asked.

"He is friends with Malfoy, though doesn't follow him blindly," Dumbledore nodded, liking to hear that. "I've seen him talking with Potter, Lestrange, Greengrass, Pucey and some Ravenclaws."

"Good. Motivate him in pursuing friendship with other houses, Severus. And as for Mr. Potter, maybe telling him that his mother was your friend would do good. I will talk with Neville too. You know that whilst in school Lily was very close to Alice..."

"You can't possibly want Neville to befriend son of Death Eaters, Albus!" McGonagall once again protested.

"Both of them grew up without parents, though for entirely different reasons, but because of the same war. They are alike in this, perhaps young Harry can see what how much pain the dark side caused. If he is as charismatic as James he can even convince some of his friends to see reason too."

"I still think it is unfair to ask this of Neville, the poor boy!"

"The boy is a Gryffindor, for Merlin's sake!" Snape said harshly. "I thought you felt proud of yourselves for facing problems with courage and nobility and all the crap you sell."

"Quite right, Severus, quite right. Rest assured, Minerva, I will not force Neville into doing anything he doesn't want." Albus spoke rather seriously. "Now I need to talk with you about the Defence classes. I was thinking about working on the timetables so I can teach the theory and you, Severus, the practice. It is, of course, only until I find another teacher."

"Why don't you call Black back?" Severus asked, spitting the name of the man. "It is bad enough to tolerate the brats during Potions classes."

"Sirius doesn't want to teach Harry Potter. It seems that the boy was treating him coldly."

"The mutt wanted Potter to adore him?" Snape sneered.

"I think Sirius hoped to start a relationship with Harry..." Albus sighed. "Anyway... Do you agree to teach the Defence classes, Severus?"

.

"Defence is being decent again. I mean, even if I disliked Black I have to admit that he was a good teacher." Cassiopeia said.

"Yes. Dumbledore is a source of almost infinite knowledge, and Snape in the practical is good enough. Pity this arrangement is only temporary." Harry replied. "I do fear that we might end up with someone worse than Quirrell."

Over the weeks Harry and Cassiopeia kept close mouthed about 'The Dark Lord thing'. They found out that Draco Malfoy was following Neville only to put the Gryffindor in trouble, and that he had even asked a seventh year to put a tracking spell on the Boy-Who-Lived. Really stupid. Harry suspected that Snape knew about that and decided to do nothing for the time being.

Theodore Nott was always talking with Harry about what happened among the first years. Potter had a lot of information for blackmail and things alike, he just didn't know what to do with that. He also wondered why Nott told him so much without asking anything back. Weird, to say the least. Perhaps the first year was tired of Malfoy trying to boss everyone around, Harry mused.

Draco was avoiding Harry, but the latter could feel the blonde glaring at him behind his back when they were in the common room and sometimes on the Great Hall. It was incredible that both Cassiopeia and the boy were raised by the same people and grew up so different. Did Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy treat their son with a lot more attention than their niece?

Slytherin lost the two first Quidditch matches - against Gryffindor and even Ravenclaw - and it was obvious that the team half composed by Malfoy and his cronies would do no good to the snakes' house. Harry didn't care much about the game, but he cared about Slytherin winning everything possible; so he decided to do something.

He knew that house union was highly important in Slytherin, and what he was going to do would be going against a house mate, but at the same time he was doing that for the whole house.

Adrien Pucey, after the whole nightmares thing, did not hostilize Harry any more, and did not even hold anything against the first year. Harry knew that it was because the older boy respected power. No, Harry did not hex him into oblivion or anything the sort, but he made him powerless over something so _basic_ - sleeping - and Pucey knew he could do it again.

So Harry approached Adrien and told him about his plan. It was simple: Pucey would convince Malfoy to hex Neville Longbottom's broom - nothing too dangerous - and somehow have McGonagall to find this out. The Gryffindor head of house would, undoubtly, ban Malfoy from Quidditch, at least for one year.

It took two weeks to put the plan to work. All it took was having Granger to hear a rumor that Draco was the one who hexed Longbottom's broom before the match against Hufflepuff. The girl obviously ran to tell McGonagall about her suspicions. In the end they found out Draco's magical signature. Professor Snape didn't even argue about the ban the blonde received, and though he did not took points, Malfoy earned a month of detentions with Filch from his own head of house. Minerva gave him another month.

When Malfoy wasn't on the team any more the captain had the bone to finally expel his friends too, except Zabini, who really did deserve to be a chaser.

There was a new try out, and this time Septimus made it to team as a beater, and Anthony was the new reserve seeker.

Yule break passed in the same way that last year. Harry studied a lot, only this time focusing on Occlumency and Defence. The book on shields he bought was a master piece, and it described and taught shields to protect against hexes and curses that were dark, really dark. Harry learned that shields against Dark Magic were borderline dark, and that strong emotions could strengthen them. This time Snape didn't stay on the castle during he break, so their particular classes had a break.

.

She breathed the air and a sinister smile appeared on her face. It was not by any means a hot day, most people would say it was even cold... But not for her. For her the air was warm, much different from the air she breathed inside Azkaban, icy, unforgivable, cutting, _freezing_.

It was so good to be free again. Something inside her did not know what to expect now. The Dark Mark had flared stronger some weeks ago, and she knew that he was rising again, just as he said he would.

She wanted to go and see some friends - if she still had someone to call that. She wanted to see her child...

But there was something inside her that wanted revenge for all those wasted years.

Lily Potter's mind was confused, dazed and a little maddened for all those years in Azkaban. The reason why she had joined Voldemort seemed _distant_... She went to Azkaban without fight, denial or regret for one reason, and it was Harry, not the Dark Lord. But now that part of her which wanted revenge knew that only _one_ person could give it. James' reasons to swear loyalty to Voldemort were more than just their son. In the end power _had_ seduced him, and he knew that making a sacrifice such as going to Azkaban would assure him much more power.

She wanted to have a wand and curse someone to feel as cold as she felt, to feel half-dead as she felt... And she would curse _anyone_ who appeared in front of her, except Harry. Or maybe James. And the Dark Lord, for obvious reasons.

She did not remember very well if that was how she used to be before. Was she always that vindictive? And if she was, did she take her revenge on innocent people?

'_Nobody is innocent_.' a voice breathed inside her head. Only Harry, her little boy, was innocent, pure... Bot not for long.

She missed James. They have never seen each other while in Azkaban. The closest cell to Lily's was Bellatrix's, and she could remember the way the other witch screamed crazy all the times in the first two weeks she was there... Until she became silent, too silent. When the Dark Marks flared some weeks ago Bella laughed madly and screamed with a strong voice she shouldn't even have any more.

Lily recalled people saying that Bellatrix was crazy and wondered if now she was crazy too. The Lestrange Lady was temperamental, vindictive, impulsive, adjectives that the Potter Lady would attribute to herself. Well, maybe being crazy would not be so bad.

_'It is not craziness if you will only make justice.'_ the voice whispered.

Nine years. Nine years wasted, away from her family. Harry _so far_ and James _so close_, and yet out of reach. Someone would pay for that, and right in that moment she did not care who. And something inside her tried to tell that this was wrong... But its voice was now too weak. Perhaps it would never be strong again.

.

When Harry and his friends put their feet inside the Great Hall several eyes glued on them, specifically, on him. Students from all houses were looking at him in odd ways. The Slytherins looked pleased. He glanced over the Head Table and caught both Dumbledore and Snape staring at him. Something was wrong, very wrong.

"Well..." Harry said. "Do any of you know what happened?" his friends shook their heads. Shrugging he took a seat where he used to - in the opposite side of the Head Table, near the first years.

The staring continued, and it started to unnerve Harry. He snorted and put his fork down, looking at Theodore Nott, who was near and also looking at him with _that_ expression.

"Why are you and half the Great Hall staring at me, Nott?"

The black haired first year merely gave Harry the Daily Prophet.

Cassiopeia and Anthony got nearer Potter to read the paper together, gasping in shock when they read the headline.

_**LILY POTTER ESCAPED AZKABAN. ARE WE SAFE?**_

_It has come to our knowledge that yesterday Lily Potter, James Potter's wife, convicted Death Eater, escaped Azkaban. The Ministry does not know how it happened, but it certainly makes us wonder how safe we are. Was it an isolated case or another ones will follow? _

_The Minister gave permission to let Dementors near Hogwarts – as they suspect that Lily Potter might seek her son, Harry Potter, who is a second year student. _

_The Ministry alerts that although Lily Potter never killed or severely injured anyone, she is potentially dangerous._

Harry stopped reading the Prophet, laughing madly. His mother was free of Azkaban. It was amazing! He could barely wait to see her, to meet her again...

"Harry!" Cassiopeia called. "Stop this!"

"Why, dear Cassiopeia, can't I feel happy because my mother is finally free of Azkaban?" Harry inquired half annoyed and half drunk in amusement.

"Yes, you can, but please stop laughing as though you escaped Azkaban yourself."

Harry looked around and saw that people were looking at him as if he was, indeed, a crazy escaped convicted. He sighed and saw Dumbledore still staring at him. He quickly avoided the Headmaster's eyes. Snape had told him that Legilimency required eye contact and he wasn't even nearly prepared to have his mind scrutinized by the old wizard.

His mother. Free. The last memory he had of her was blurred. He only remembered people holding her and his father, rolling up their sleeves and there was a red light - what he had learned it was a stunner - and they were taken away.

The question was: what should he do now?

"Dear Merlin!" Anthony exclaimed in awe. "Your mother is... Well... Awesome. Nobody has ever escaped Azkaban."

Harry smiled widely. To hell if people would find it wrong that he wanted his convicted, Death Eater mother; it was only normal to celebrate her freedom, after all she never did anything against him, did she?

Whispers could be heard, but the young Potter could not care less about what people were talking about him.

His food remained almost untouched, emotions running wild through his body and he suddenly wasn't hungry any more.

His first class was Transfiguration and it went almost uneventful. It seemed that he fact that someone escaped Azkaban shocked people enough to make them keep quiet enough to not provoke Harry... Or perhaps it was McGonagall's sterner attitude that refrained them...

After Transfiguration they had charms with the Ravenclaws. Harry saw that some of the ravens were in groups speculating how Lily Potter escaped Azkaban, some of them talking about wards and more complicated things.

During lunch Harry received a note from a Hufflepuff first year. It seemed that the headmaster wanted to speak with him when classes ended.

.

"I am Harry Potter, the headmaster is waiting for me." Harry said and the gargoyle allowed him entrance to Dumbledore's office.

"Mr. Potter. Good evening!" The headmaster said warmly.

"Good evening, Headmaster." Harry answered politely.

"Lemon drop?"

"No, thank you." Harry wondered if wizards suffered from caries... Dumbledore would certainly suffer from it due to the exaggerated amount of candies he ate. He carefully continued avoiding Albus' eyes.

"So, Mr. Potter, are you liking Hogwarts so far?"

Harry repressed the will to roll his eyes. It was obvious that his mother was the reason for that conversation; couldn't Dumbledore just go directly to the point?

"It is wonderful, sir; most of the classes are really interesting and I like my friends very much." Harry didn't mention that the castle was also the first place where he felt at home.

"I'm glad to hear that, Harry; may I use your first name?"

"Of course, sir."

Dumbledore paused and analysed the child. He didn't look like a menace - granted, Tom Riddle also didn't when he was twelve - and was very polite and even sympathetic. But the old wizard also noticed that the boy was avoiding to look him in the eyes; no doubt one of his friends explained him that mild Legilimency, the kind that could go unnoticed, required eye contact.

"I've called you here, Harry, because your godfather sent me a letter telling that he is deeply worried about your safety due to your mother's recent escape from Azkaban."

Harry's eyes hardened. The gall of the man! Now, out of the blue, Black was concerned about him...

"I am sure my mother would never harm me, sir." Harry muttered.

"Harry, my boy, you must understand that Azkaban is a hard place to be; it changes people. Your mother might not even recognize you, she might be very_ different_."

"I don't think it has happened, sir. But, anyway, what does it have to do with Black?"

"He is very concerned about you and I must agree with him that the muggle orphanage where you live is not safe enough, so he wants you to live with him from now on. You will spent your summer in his residence, Grimmauld Place."

"This is ridiculous!" Harry said. Black just wanted to destroy any chance he had of meeting his mother. "He never cared about me during all these years and now he wants to keep me away from my mother!"

The headmaster sighed. Indeed, Sirius had been less than ideal as a godfather and Harry had his right to refuse to live with him. However, it was also worrisome that the child planed to meet someone that had just escaped Azkaban, his mother or not.

"Harry..." Dumbledore spoke quietly. "I know that Sirius wronged you and I understand that you may not like him very much, but you must see that even if he neglected his godfather's duties he would never want you harmed in any way."

'_Then why did he left me in a muggle orphanage to be bullied by older boys?_' Harry thought bitterly.

"And you must understand that your mother most probably is not the same person she was nine years ago. She might harm you."

Harry snorted but he knew there was nothing he could do. Sirius Black had his custody once his parents were considered criminals and if the man wanted Harry to live with him there was no way to avoid it.

"I don't agree with you, sir, with all the respect. But I know that I have no choice on the matter, so thank you for informing me beforehand about my summer arrangements."

"You are most welcome, my boy," Albus said grandfatherly. "Sirius takes my opinion highly, I will tell him to treat you fairly and well. And I'd like to ask you to make an effort to get along with him."

Harry smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

"I will try, sir. May I go now, I really have a hard essay to write for Professor McGonagall."

"Of course, you may, Harry."

.

Harry entered in the common room and let his body fall in a couch. It was horrible that someone else had authority over him, someone who wasn't exactly fond of him. He was so anxious that Lily would try to see him during summer and now Black simply spoiled all his chances.

Dumbledore's words echoed inside his head. He would be very disappointed if his mother was indeed crazy enough to harm him. Maybe the headmaster only told him that to make him fearful...

He put his elbows on his knees and rested his head on his hands, sighing deeply. Maybe he had been a little naïve to believe that his mother would look for him now... But no, he refused to agree with that.

And on top of all he would have to deal with Black...

"What did he headmaster want to talk with you?" Anthony asked startling Harry who didn't see the other boy coming.

"My godfather wants me to live with him during the summer. Apparently, my mother is dangerous for my safety." he replied sardonically.

"That sucks..." Anthony said "Well, at least you won't need to put up with the muggles. Just think there is a good side; you will live in the residence of one of the most ancient houses, the House of Black. Cassiopeia's grandmother was a Rosier who married a Black, some people on my family had already been at Grimmauld Place. They say that the Dark Arts section on the Black library contains some really rare stuff."

"I just hope the idiot Black doesn't forbid me to enter the library." Harry muttered. "I didn't know you and Cassiopeia were related."

"Well... All the purebloods are related, you should know that after reading that book about pureblood families you bought."

"That book is mostly about the origins of the families. Did you know that both the Rosier and Lestrange families have the same origin back in France?"

"Really?" the brown haired boy mused. "I guess I didn't pay much attention to what my father explained about our family. Shame on me."

Harry had noticed that Anthony often talked about his father, but not about his mother.

"Anthony," he called hesitantly "why don't you ever talk about your mother?"

Rosier expression saddened and he took a deep breath before replying with a small, vulnerable voice.

"Because she's dead."

Harry nodded. He had suspected that.

"The war?" when the boy confirmed it with his head Harry continued. "Aurors?"

"Not exactly..." Anthony answered uncomfortably. "I really don't want to talk about it."

"All right, I am sorry. I didn't mean to pry." Harry apologized.

"It's okay, Harry."

.

Clearing his mind was easier now, and Harry was glad that it really helped when Snape tried to attack him with Legilimency. The professor wasn't by any means gentle, but now at least he didn't make Harry fall on the floor panting.

"You improved, Potter, but you can do better. It would still take little to no effort to an average legilimens to rip your mind in one minute. Now use your mental shield, I want to test it rather than your ability to pull me off."

Harry took a deep breath and raised his mental shield. He nodded and Snape attacked him again. He felt a pressure that seemed mental at first, but that became physical and slightly painful between his eyes. Snape cast the spell again, Potter knew that it was stronger now. His protection last for ten seconds before crumbling.

"I believe that by the start of the next term you will be in a medium level of occluding and I will be able to progress with your other lessons." Snape said. The professor only taught Harry theory on Dark Magic during their meetings. For the practices he demanded a certain level of Occlumency skill to hide it from prying headmasters.

"Really, sir? It doesn't mean much..."

"You are far from mastering the art, Mr. Potter, but anyone who try to invade your mind will be much more subtle than I am. Your shield is somehow acceptable," which in Snape's vocabulary meant 'good' Harry thought "but you can't clear your mind properly."

"I know, sir, I have difficult with this... Too many things to think about..."

Snape's face remained impassive, but he knew very well that Harry Potter was living through a difficult time.

"It is not an excuse, Mr. Potter."

"Yes, I know sir. I will work harder on this."

"I expect that much." Severus said and stood up, indicating that their lesson was finished.

Harry bid farewell and left Snape's office decided to improve in Occlumency.

.

Two weeks before the end of the term Harry was alone in the library. Anthony and Septimus were on their Quidditch practice while Cassiopeia was helping the Shaqif girl with her Charms essay. As months passed people stopped to stare at him because of his mother. There was nothing new on the Prophet about Lily Potter since one month after her escape, when it was publicized that dementors were wandering over Britain searching for her and authorized to administer the kiss on sight. It worried Harry deeply, because he wanted so much to meet her and at least ask the questions he had.

He was immerse on his Defence text and did not see someone approaching him.

"May I sit here?" asked someone beside him, and when Harry bothered to look who it was he surprisingly saw Neville Longbottom standing there.

"The library isn't mine, I can't decide where people sit, can I?" Harry replied with a neutral voice and waved his hand motioning the other boy to sit.

Longbottom was interesting, Harry thought. The boy looked decided to do something, but at he same time unsure if whatever he was going to do was worth it. He had a Potions book with him. Potter prayed the gods that he wasn't going to ask for help; he liked to study but he was never good - or didn't even try to be - at teaching, his friends soon realized that asking for his help was the way to end in an argument. It was selfish, yes, but he never bothered in building patience to share knowledge.

Harry raised one eyebrow as though asking if Neville would say anything, when silence remained he devoted his attention back to his Defence book.

Minutes passed and the only sound heard was that of the pages of books being turned and their breathing.

"So..." the first year said hesitantly. "Are you anxious about your mother?"

"Obviously," was the dry response.

"Yes, I guess it was a stupid question," Neville said half smiling. "I would be too, if I had never known my parents... I mean, I never knew them, but I am not like you, I will never know them."

Oh, brilliant, just what Harry needed! Why the hell Longbottom thought that he was the right person to talk about his dead parents?

"I know how it feels to grow up without parents..."

No! Empathy no! Harry kept silent.

"Granted, I had my grandmother and my godfather and lots of frie—"

Harry slammed the book shut.

"I don't want your pity, Longbottom. I don't know what possessed you to think that I want some therapic conversation with you."

"It's not pity!" the first year hasty protested. "I just wanted to talk with you," he paused and eyed Harry carefully. "You at least have parents that are alive..."

"Yes, I do," Potter snapped. "So it's you who wants to be pitied? I will not pity you, Longbottom. Your parents died in a war, that's what happens when people fight. You survived because of some magical error, do you understand? Just because you are alive doesn't mean that you have to bother people with your idiotic self pity and ridiculous questions."

Longbottom's expression became clouded and Harry could see that the boy was hurt by his harsh words; he didn't care, really.

"Well, at least my parents died protecting me, different from yours that preferred to declare that they were followers of You-Know-Who and to leave you alone." Neville said angrily. Dumbledore asked him to befriend Harry and to try to make him see some reason, but the boy wasn't sympathetic at all.

"You are a Gryffindor, it is understandable that you prefer your noble, self sacrificing dead parents than alive ones that did dubious things," Harry said calmly. "But I still rather my own convicted Death Eater parents that someday I might get to know than yours," Longbottom seemed sad, but reality wasn't always kind, Harry learned it early on his life and he would not save Neville's beautiful illusions about life. Hell, the boy survived a killing curse, one of the darkest pieces of magic and had he parents killed in a war and still tried to see things through nobility. He, of all people, should understand about the opportunities that sometimes happen in someone's path.

"You don't feel bothered that your father killed people?"

Harry pondered on that. He sometimes wondered if he would be capable of killing someone in cold blood. He more often than not thought that he wouldn't. But his father killed in a war...

"It was a war," Potter said after some moments in silence. "Do you think that aurors didn't kill Death Eaters too? It was a war, people died, people killed."

"Easy to say when no one close to you died."

"I could tell you the same," seeing Longbottom's puzzled face Potter explained. "Your parents are considered heroes, adored by the wizarding world. You are the bloody Boy-Who-Lived, symbol of all things good. My parents are criminals, considered heartless and cruel just because they supported the dark side on the war. I am called a traitors' son, the spawn of the Dark Lord's right hand, symbol of the next generation of lost wizards and witches. It's easy for you to live upon your family's doings."

"Your parents supported a murderer, a monster that killed children and innocent people!"

Harry sighed.

"I will not discuss with you the matter of muggles and how they were treated in the war," the green eyed boy stated. "But as for killing innocent wizards and witches, I would tell you to talk with some Slytherins about how they also lost brothers, parents and other people that weren't involved in the war. You have too much faith that your beloved Light side is composed only by fair and loving people. But what should I expect from a child?"

"If I am a child you are too!" Neville protested and Harry was amused that after what he'd just told about 'the other side' the first complain was about being a child - what just proved that Longbottom was one, indeed.

"I didn't grow up coddled and without sense of reality. I know what both sides of the war did and I don't delude myself to believe that my parents supported a belief that has no flaws. A world in black and white can only be seen by children or people that try to fool themselves," a faint smirk "And I prefer to believe that you are the first type, you don't seem to be a fool. You should stop living on Granger's shadow of brilliancy; you're smart too... Granted that after passing the amount of time you do around that Weasley boy even Rowena Ravenclaw herself would feel a bit stupider..."

Harry stood up and took his book.

"Have a good evening, Longbottom. It was a good conversation."

On the way back the the dungeons Harry thought about the fact that his parents chose Azkaban instead of using some excuse - like the _Imperius _- and remaining free to raise him. Should he feel sad because of that? Should he feel neglected? Perhaps...

.

"I will write you everyday, Harry!" Cassiopeia said.

"Me too!" Anthony added. "I do hope you make Black's life hell for all the points he took from us."

"And for leaving you in a muggle orphanage," the girl said grinning.

"I am more interested in staying out of his way, actually," Harry said quietly.

"Perhaps it is better... But of course, the idea of tormenting Black was Anthony's so it obviously should not be good," Lestrange provoked but then her expression became more serious. "If something regarding your mother happens please owl me immediately!"

"Of course I will!"

They exited the train and waited for their parents or guardian to pick them up. Septimus and Maya, who were talking with some relatives that were Ravenclaws had already bid their farewell earlier.

"Oh, there they are," Cassiopeia said when she saw the Malfoys. "I think I should introduce you to my uncle and aunt, Harry. Come with me."

"My mother just arrived," Anthony said. "Good bye to you!"

"Good bye, _Thony_!" the girl replied, much to Rosier's annoyance.

"See you in September," Harry said.

Harry followed the girl. Draco Malfoy muttered something but didn't dare to openly provoke the other boy.

"Aunt Cissy, uncle Lucius, this is my friend, Harry Potter."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Potter. My niece talks a lot about you," Lucius said.

"The pleasure is mine, Mrs. and Mr. Malfoy," Harry replied and smiled slightly.

"You look a lot like your parents," Narcissa said and Draco snorted, receiving a glare from his mother. "Who are you waiting for, some muggle from the place where you live?"

"Oh, no... My godfather thinks that it is unsafe for me to remain at the orphanage, so I will live with Sirius Black during the summer."

"I see," it was obvious that the blonde woman wasn't, at all, fond of her cousin. "Tell aunt Walburga that I send my regards."

Harry narrowed his eyes. From what he'd heard Sirius lived alone.

"There is a portrait of Walburga there," then Narcissa seemed to remember something. "She might not like you at first, and she can be quite... Vocal about this. Tell her that you know me, and that Bella's daughter is your friend. She will appreciate your company. Merlin knows that she needs someone else besides her disgrace of son in that house!"

Harry nodded and grinned, looking at Cassiopeia briefly as if telling 'perhaps tormenting Sirius would be fun.'

"Harry?" someone called behind him. The Malfoys' posture became a bit hostile.

"Hello, Mr. Black." the boy answered politely.

"Let's go?" Sirius asked hasty.

"My, my, are we not family any more, Sirius?" Narcissa taunted. "Your mother would be so displeased to see that her son has no manners."

"I didn't know you still considered me family, Narcissa. Come on Harry, we are leaving."

Harry waved his hand and followed Sirius, who had already walked some distance.

It was going to be a long summer.

.

Side long apparition was horrible, utterly horrible. Had Harry eaten anything on the train he was sure that it would not be on his stomach any more.

"Welcome to Grimmauld Place, Harry."

Harry looked around the house. The walls were dark brown and the house was a bit cold. There were several floors and plenty of rooms. Harry spotted a door that had 'Library' craved in golden letters. He passed through a hallway and heard someone shouting.

"FILTHY MUDBLOOD TAINTING MY HOUSE!"

"Are you talking with me?" Harry asked.

"Oh, how surprising, a mudblood that knows his place!"

Harry snorted. It seemed that the woman was the Walburga person that Narcissa Malfoy mentioned.

"You are Mrs. Walburga Black, right?"

"Yes," the portrait replied dryly.

"Narcissa sent her regards to you," the woman looked surprised. "And by the way, I am not a mudblood!"

"You know Cissy? How?"

Harry smirked. The joy of knowing the right people.

"I am a friend of her niece..."

"For Salazar's sake, don't tell me that you are a friend of Andromeda's spawn if she had one, I mean."

"No, no," Harry said quickly. He didn't know who Andromeda was, and decided to ask Cassiopeia about that. "I am a friend of Cassiopeia Lestrange, Bellatrix's daughter."

"Oh, so Bella married a Lestrange. Good," Walburga nodded approving. "but I never thought that she would actually have children. How are my nieces?"

"Well... Sirius doesn't tell you these things?"

"My useless son? No, he hates me."

"Bellatrix is in Azkaban."

"WHAT?"

"How much do you know about the Dark Lord?"

"I think I know enough to put two and two together and conclude that dear Bella was arrested for being a Death Eater."

"Exactly," the boy nodded. "so I don't know a lot about her. Narcissa married Lucius Malfoy. They have a son, Draco, who just finished first year in Hogwarts."

"Good, Narcissa chose well," Walburga stopped and looked at Harry, analysing him. "You have something of Black in you... But not quite enough to be one. Who are you, boy?"

"I am Harry Potter."

"A Potter!" she exclaimed completely surprised. "I wonder how a Potter ended up as a friend of Bellatrix's daughter. Who is your father?"

"James Potter."

"And he just allows you to be near a Lestrange and to talk with the Malfoys?! I know James Potter, he is Sirius' friend..."

"Not any more," sounded Sirius' voice. "I see that you've met my mother, Harry. Didn't she insult you too? I heard her shouting."

Harry swallowed.

"That was just a misunderstanding, right Mrs. Black?"

"Yes, it was a misunderstanding. So, Sirius, why is this child here, and where is his father?"

"He is in Azkaban!" he spat angrily.

"My, my, aren't we a little bit edgy today?" she paused and looked at Harry. "Please tell me that you are going to live here, child, I need someone that talks with me decently."

"Yes, I will, madam. I am Sirius' godson and a lot of complicated things happened and I will live here during summers."

"Good. I will tell Kreacher to obey you."

Sirius clenched his fists and glared at his mother's portrait.

"But tell me, how is it that a Potter ended up in Azkaban?"

"He ended up in that hell because he is just the mindless Voldemort's minion that you so love!" Black said before Harry could answer.

"Dear Merlin! Finally someone on that family had some sense. But tell me where is your mother, so, Harry."

"She is... Was in Azkaban for being a Death Eater too. She kind of escaped the prison. That's why I was brought to live here."

"And who is your mother?"

"Lily Evans..."

"I don't know this family... Is this family a foreign one?"

"No, my mother is a muggleborn."

"Well, she obviously has some sense despite her heritage, and clearly birthed a decent son," a glare towards Sirius. "so she isn't a mudblood. How interesting is your family, Harry Potter; a Potter and a muggleborn marry and become Death Eaters... I wonder what people say about them."

"What they deserve!"

"Oh, shut up, Sirius! I am talking to Harry Potter now, do not interrupt."

"No! You are not going to talk to him any more. I can only imagine how you would poison his mind!" he pushed the curtains of the portrait closed; Walburga screaming all the time.

"Come on Harry, I will show your room." Harry sneered but followed the man anyway. Later he would sneak and talk to Walburga some more.

Sirius led Harry to a room decorated in green and grey. The boy grinned; his godfather must hate the Slytherin decoration.

"Something funny?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just liked the colours, reminds me of the common room and my dorm in Hogwarts."

"I tried to change the colours, but the whole house is enchanted and I can't alter things."

"Thank Merlin! I can only imagine how Gryffindorish you would make the place look. All that red would certainly give me a headache."

"You will respect me whilst you live here, boy!" Black snarled. Harry's hand gripped his wand; though he didn't believe Sirius would harm him one can never be sure.

The man saw Harry's posture and softened his own.

"I wasn't going to hurt you."

"I couldn't know for sure, could I?" the child asked sardonically.

Sirius sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well, make yourself at home," he said and walked away. Harry closed the door and began to unpack.

He really liked the room. There was a mirror on a wall and the letters 'R.A.B.' on its golden frame. He would ask Walburga about that later.

.

On July 1st, Harry's birthday, several owls arrived in Grimmauld Place. Last year his friends didn't know the date of his birth, so they sent nothing besides the usual letters. This year, though, they knew.

The first letter he opened was Anthony's.

_First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Harry!_

_I hope your summer is being pleasant - as good as it can be due the circumstances. _

_I am in Italy with my aunt. It is beautiful here, and the food is delicious..._

_Did you know that Julius Caesar was a wizard? I was stunned when I learnt it._

_The gift I've sent you was bought in Rome, use it well._

_Anthony._

Harry unwrapped the gift. It was a wand hoslter made of leather with details in platinum. He tested it, all he needed was a flick of his wrist and his wand would be on his hand. A very usefull gift, he loved it.

The second letter was Cassiopeia's

_Hi Harry! _

_Happy birthday, I hope you are well and happy; I am..._

_Did you manage to visit the library already? Uncle Lucius wanted to ask you about a book. He said he's going to tell me about when I next owl you._

_Nothing about your mother?_

_Malfoy Jr. is still being a jerk. I think he is a bit jealous of both you and Longbottom. Honestly, I pity him. _

_One of the house elves, Dobby, is acting really oddly; I wonder what is happening with the creature..._

_Anthony wrote me about the matter that mine and his families have the same origin in France. Can you please find a book with a heritage potion? It would be awesome to trace our bloodlines back their sources. I heard that the Potters are descendents of Godric Gryffindor..._

_Waiting for your reply!_

_P.S.: keep the owl, he is your gift. Now you don't need to borrow the Malfoys' owls any more._

_Cass_

Harry looked at the owl. He was majorly white, but his wings were grey. His eyes had honey's colour.

"Well... I suppose I should name you." Harry said eyeing the owl, who hooted cheerfully. He was quiet, thinking about a name. "Zeus?" the owl tilted his head unhappy. "I don't think so... What about Hermes?" the owl again seemed displeased. Harry grinned wickedly "Hades?" an approving hoot was heard. Harry chuckled. "Hades, it is so. At least you are not the ferryman, so I won't need to give you a penny every time you deliver a letter for me, will I?"

The last letter was from Septimus.

_Hello Harry, happy birthday! _

_I hope your summer is progressing well so far._

_Mother and father were speaking about your mother yesterday, but I couldn't listen what exactly they were saying._

_I hope you like your gift. Maya and my parents are sending their regards._

_Septimus Avery._

Harry laughed in amusement seeing the gift Septimus had sent him. It was a box of chocolates. He would offer Sirius one and when the man had eaten one he would tell that it was a gift from Septimus Avery...

Harry never noticed a raven that flew in front of his window.

.

Sirius sighed. He wanted to get to know Harry, but the task was really difficult. The boy was always giving him sarcastic retorts or even ignoring him. It seemed that he believed he was being held as a prisoner during the summer.

If Black were to be honest with himself he would admit that forbidding visits from Harry's friends wasn't the smartest course of action. But what could he do? His godson's friends were all sons of Death Eaters, one of them the daughter of his crazy cousin, no less!

And there was the calling of an informal meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. It seemed that Albus had worrisome news about You-Know-Who. Sirius shuddered at the possibility that the rumors that Voldemort had made himself immortal were true.

He would see Remus, at least. The werewolf and Peter were both living alone and away. It was painful that the Marauders ended in such way...

His thoughts were back in James and Lily. They hurt him so badly... They made him Harry's godfather all the while already being Death Eaters. And then he directed the ache from their treason on the boy. He knew it was wrong, but there was no way he could raise their son. What was he supposed to do? Tell Harry how horrible were his parents and make the child love him like a father? No, he still had consideration for James and Lily to do such despicable thing. Harry was better with Lily's muggle relatives - or so he thought.

Apparently Harry grew up resented of the muggles because of the orphanage. His plan had failed miserably.

"Do you want a chocolate?" Harry's voice sounded behind him, extending his hand to offer he sweet.

Sirius wondered if that was Harry trying to talk with him. Well, certainly the boy wouldn't try to poison him, right?

"Why not?"

Sirius took the chocolate and ate it. The flavour was divine. He narrowed his eyes when a wicked smile appeared on Harry's lips.

"My friend, Septimus Avery, sent it. Delicious, isn't it?"

Black wanted to spit the chocolate, but unfortunately he had already swallowed it.

"I still dislike you," Harry stated calmly and walked back to his room.

For the first time in weeks Sirius laughed. Harry pranked him! It was a wonder that the boy could hid his intentions on the beginning... Then he remembered that his godson was a Slytherin.

Why had the Avery boy sent the chocolate?

Sirius' eyes widened when he remembered that it was Harry's birthday. With all the hostility between them both he forgot it. He sighed and swore that next year things would be better.

.

Harry watched when people began to arrive at Grimmauld Place. The first one was Augusta Longbottom. Then two redheads that he believed to be Molly and Arthur Weasley. A man with brow hair and hazel eyes who Sirius called Remus. People he didn't know at all... Professor McGonagall. His own head of house. And, in the end, Dumbledore.

He frowned. Sirius told him to stay in his room for the entire evening, because they would be having a meeting on the kitchen. Meeting of what?

He tried to listen what they were talking, but all he could hear from the kitchen was a noise that sounded like bees.

Deciding that it was useless trying to find out what that was about he headed towards the Black Library.


	4. When the Past Attacks

**Hello dears!**

**This time I decided to answer the questions you asked in the reviews here instead of sending PMs.**

**Someone asked about Neville. His personality will not be much alike Canon!Neville or Canon!Harry either, I think. And he will be Light. His conversation with Harry was mostly a waste of time, because he will not think about it. However... Well, you will see *grins***

**The raven is Lily? Read the chapter and you'll find out!**

**Yes, Harry is rich, I included a mention about it in the end of the chapter, but this will be discussed in later chapters too.**

**Nothing about Voldemort, I'm afraid. Right now he is performing rituals to get his body back. But do not fret, soon he will appear, and *someone* will be terrified because of a little mistake that was done.**

**Grindelwald's story will be mentioned on this story too, later. And Harry's role in the war will be much more than being a simple Death Eater, I can't say more or I would be giving a huge spoiler...**

**All of you are wondering why Lily and James joined he Dark Lord... This chapter gives clues about it, but nothing substantial (because I'm an evil girl and this secret will remain hidden for a bit of time *grins*)**

**I have to ask: do you mind that the chapters's lengths differ a lot? **

**Chapter 4 – When the Past Attacks **

Silence fell on the kitchen of Grimmauld Place when Dumbledore finished his explanation about what happened to the Sorcerer's Stone and who he believed to be behind it.

"What is the use of your pet Death Eater if he cannot even _notice_ when his Dark Mark burns?" Moody spat glaring at Snape. "We could have known what was going to happen earlier. You knew, didn't you, Snape? I think you even helped your master..."

"Now, now, Alastor, Severus already explained that he didn't feel anything." Albus tried to pacify.

"But Longbottom had a reaction on his scar, certainly the Death Eaters would have felt it too!" the old auror retorted.

"Perhaps we should Avada Kedrava a toddler and, if he or she survives, research how curse scars react when they are not caused by the Dark Lord," Snape said silkily. "A curse scar is entirely different from the Dark Mark. You all have an abysmal knowledge of magic that I cannot understand how you call yourselves wizards and witches."

"Shut up, Snivellus!" Sirius said standing up.

"Or what?" Snape asked, his hand gripping his wand, "Are you going to curse me? You will be cursed into oblivion before you can utter a single spell, Black;" a smirk "and you know it."

Black drew his wand, but before he could do anything Dumbledore disarmed him.

"Sirius, Severus, please calm yourselves. You are on the same side, please refrain yourselves from acting in this childish way!"

"I don't trust him, Albus!" Sirius said exasperated. "How can you trust a Death Eater?"

"One would think that you've never put your trust in the wrong person..." Snape trailed off. "Are you a master legilimens, Black? Oh my, what an obvious question! With your lack of capacity of course you are not. I wonder what makes you think you can judge people better than the Headmaster." a deep, long sigh. "Although, with your arrogance you would obviously think yourself better and able to read my bloody mind."

"You will never insinuate anything about James and Lily again, Snape!"

"And again I ask you what you are going to do if I refuse to follow your... Advice. You are disarmed now due to your imbecilic display of total lack of control. I bet that Lily, now escaped from Azkaban, has more reason than you."

"Severus!" Dumbledore called briskly. "You are not helping."

"Forgive me, Albus, but it wasn't me who started this stunt."

"But you keep arguing with Sirius..." Molly started but was silenced by Snape's glare.

"I already told you, we are not here to discuss Severus' loyalties. Leave it to me, I assure you that I trust him. Now, we must talk about how we will proceed from now on should my suspects be proven true."

"Poor Neville to have a link with that... Monster." Molly cried.

"Yes, not all have willingly been marked by Him!" Sirius muttered but this time Severus ignored him.

"My grandson isn't marked!" Augusta protested.

Dumbledore pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Ignoring the others in the kitchen he continued to talk.

"We must decide our course of action. If Voldemort is really coming back we need to find out how it is possible that he seems to be immortal," Dumbledore said raising his voice. At the word 'immortal' the other occupants of the place looked disgusted. "If we don't find out this I fear we will never be able to defeat him."

"Don't you know anything about it, Severus?" asked Kingsley in a neutral tone. He wasn't accusing Snape.

"Of course I know. Obviously the Dark Lord shares with his Death Eaters the method to become immortal!"

"For Merlin's sake, can't you be nice, Snape?" Molly spoke annoyed.

"Do you think that he talked with any of the Death Eaters about immortality, Severus?"

"I don't know... The closest Death Eaters were Bellatrix and Lucius," a long pause "and Potter in the end, of course. But if I had to guess he would talk about it with Bellatrix, her knowledge about the Dark Arts was the biggest among the Death Eaters. Lucius and Potter were great duellists, but they were not very interested in the deepest secrets of magic, or the borderline Black Magic."

But Snape didn't believe that he Dark Lord had talked about that with anyone, and that's why he gave that information. To be precise, he was almost sure that Voldemort's way to reach immortality was a secret very well hidden.

"What do you mean, Black Magic?" Arthur asked with curiosity and disgust.

Severus let a sigh out, a sigh that meant 'must you all be so ignorant?'

"Black Magic involves Necromancy and Soul Magic. It taints you, marks your soul. Very few ever tried to dabble with it. I cannot say for sure, but if there is a way to make oneself immortal I believe it is by using Black Magic." Snape did not even worry because he was volunteering that information. Books about Black Magic were almost non-existent, and the rare ones were in possession of ancient families that practiced it. He also did not say that he had brewed potions used in black rituals for the Dark Lord, of course. Severus's knowledge about Black Magic's rituals was quite vast - in the theory only, of course - but he wasn't in position to reveal anything else, like the fact that Soul Magic was composed by two opposite branches: Life Magic and Death Magic.

"Do you have any more information about this, Snape?" Black asked.

"No. I am not crazy to dabble with such thing. Books about this are very rare. Don't bother to look for it in Knockturn Alley, you will find nothing." he answered in a clipped tone.

Dumbledore didn't seem surprised by Severus's suspicions.

"Sirius, it is probably useless, but Severus will look for books about the subject on your family's library." Albus informed and Sirius reluctantly nodded.

"And what are you going to do about my grandson and his damned scar?" Augusta spoke dryly.

"I am researching curse scars, Augusta, but Neville's one is quite unique. There is no previous information about a scar caused by the killing curse."

The meeting ended after that. One by one the invited left Grimmauld Place, remaining only Snape, who headed right to the library.

.

Harry observed as his godfather and Professor Snape walked in the library. They were looking for something, and didn't notice him in a corner, near the curses' section. Both men seemed to be arguing and saying offenses to each other. The boy frowned, if Snape was there for the said meeting why he and Sirius didn't seem to get along?

He had already found the book about heritage potions that Cassiopeia asked. He would ask her why they couldn't just find it in the Hogwarts' library.

Choosing a book on curses Harry got out of the library. One thing he really didn't need was to hear Black lecturing him about how dangerous those books were. Stupid cowardice, he thought; a wizard afraid of magic...

That was something Harry really did not comprehend. He, raised in the muggle world without knowing that what he could do was magic, exhibited much more courage and curiosity about the wizarding world and magic in general than half of people raised in the magical world. Pathetic.

He thought about his mother and her muggle ancestry. It was said that Harry should has been living with her muggle sister. As the way things happened one could only guess that Lily's sister wasn't exactly fond of his mother... Perhaps the feelings were returned? There must be some bad blood between both sisters, or Lily would never join Voldemort, a man who despised, tortured and killed muggles, right?

Yes, his mother knew muggles, contrary to many purebloods. She knew them and was aware of what they were capable...

Obviously Harry knew that one wizard or witch could kill ten muggles in less than thirty seconds, but wizards did not have weapons of large scale destruction, nor ways to defend themselves against the ones the muggles had. So yes, it was a huge risk to blend both worlds. While wizards were powerful, the muggles were a lot of people; in an open war between them Harry was almost sure of who would win.

That didn't mean, however, that he wanted to kill every muggle in the surface of the Earth. Which also didn't mean that he would cry because some muggles were killed in the war, or tortured for that matter. He wasn't fond of them either. Killing all muggles was also a great nuisance, because frankly, they were a lot. Much easier simply take muggleborns away from their families, that would be obliviated, and raise them in the wizarding world as they should be.

While killing all the muggles was an annoying task, mixing with them was a ridiculous and dangerous idea. He wondered how Dumbledore, supposedly the wisest wizard in the world, supported such suggestion.

Stopping his reverie, Harry took a parchment and quill and began to wrote a letter to his friends thanking their gifts. He wrote Cassiopeia's last.

_Dear Cassipeia_

_Thank you for the owl, I appreciated it very much. His name is Hades._

_I've already found a book with the potion you wanted. May I ask why we couldn't wait to find it at Hogwarts?_

_House elves are odd creatures, are you sure this Dobby is not just being himself?_

_Speaking of house elves... Kreacher, Black's house elf, hates him, and not always obeys Sirius. It is comical. He likes me, though, because Walburga told him that I am welcome here. He obeys me always. Black wants to kill the poor creature, I am sure. Tell your aunt that Walburga is a rather pleasant company._

_Earlier there was a meeting here, but I don't know what this was about. Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore, Augusta Longbottom, the Weasleys and people whose identities are unknown to me were there. Do you have any idea of what could this be?_

_Snape and Black don't seem to get along. They were trading offenses while looking for something in the library. Rather curious._

_Nothing about my mother... It is rather frustrating. Couldn't she send a letter, at least? I know she can't come here. Black would probably denounce her... The bastard._

_Do you think that my mother might seek your uncle or aunt? Or any other Death Eater? Please keep an eye on people that goes to Malfoy Manor at all the times._

_Oh, I was almost forgetting. Septimus sent me chocolates and I offered one to Black. When he had eaten it I told him who gave me the sweet. You had to see his face... Hilarious._

_Harry_

.

Spinner's End was a quiet neighbourhood. It was already late and almost nobody was outside. A figure dressed in black walked quickly and with grace in the street.

Severus Snape was coming back from the annoying Order meeting. He was cursing Longbottom and his scar. It wasn't supposed to the whole Order to know about the Dark Lord's impending return. He would need to talk with Lucius and some other Death Eaters, explaining the situation with the Brat-Who-Lived.

Sometimes he wondered if it wouldn't have been easier if he had not delivered the Prophecy to the Dark Lord... At least the boy would not be such a nuisance, and the Dark Lord wouldn't have been vanquished one time.

The Gryffindors hated him so much and there were times when he wanted to shout in their faces that he mostly was the very reason why their beloved golden boy was an orphan. Well... Him and Trelawney... And the Dark Lord. They would hate him even more, and yell, and try to hex him; and he would take all the points...

His thoughts got back to the Order. He needed to pass information to his Lord somehow.

Severus looked around to confirm that none muggle was near and waved his wand, putting down the wards that didn't permit anyone to come near his home when he was out.

Five minutes later there was a knock on his door. Snape frowned. Who would visit him nearing midnight? He sighed and walked to open the door, cursing mentally and promising that if it was a drunk who got lost on the way home he would hex and obliviate the pitiful person. He opened the door to have quite a shock.

The face was gaunt, pale and haunted. But the hair and the eyes were unmistakable. Eyes slightly widened, Severus whispered.

"Lily?"

She smiled slightly, but the smile was different from before. It wasn't a light, warm and carefree smile, but a jaded and tired one. Her hand was holding a wand and Severus only wondered how she got possession of that.

"Come in," he said and stepped aside to clear the way.

Lily walked in cautiously, as if expecting to be attacked anytime.

"So you are still living here, Severus..."

He almost gave her a sardonic retort, but caught himself before he words could be said. Snape didn't know how was Lily's mental health, and a hostile reply could very well cause her to hex him...

"I've always thought that you would want to leave the muggle world for good, since you are not really fond of them," she said while looking every detail of the room "but you were always full of surprises..."

"I wanted to leave, but not many know about this place, and should another war begin I would use the Fidelius."

"I'm glad you kept the place, or else I don't know how I would find someone who can help me," Lily sat on the floor, Severus frowned but said nothing. "Don't worry, I wont force myself in your house, Severus, I know how much you appreciate your privacy. I merely want to know how things are going."

"How did you manage all these months out of Azkaban?"

Lily laughed aloud, got up and sat on an armchair.

"Caught a wizard that was exiting the Leaky Cauldron late night. I hit him with a rock, stole his wand. Lucky me, the core was the same as my own. Applied a glamour, you know how gifted I am with charms." a smug smile "Went to Gringotts; it is so fortunate that the goblins don't care about wizard's matters, don't you think? They don't care if the Dark Lord himself shows up there... Anyway, I bought a new wand in Knockturn and I've been living in the muggle world in the last month."

Severus nodded, his lips almost twitching in a smile after hearing Lily's tale.

"I am glad you got out of there," he said carefully.

"Me too," Lily whispered and her eyes unfocused, as though she was lost in a dream, or a memory. Snape only observed the episode that lasted nothing more than fifteen seconds. Recovered, Lily asked one of the things she was there to know about. "The Dark Mark... Before I escaped, some weeks before, it burned. He is rising, isn't he?"

"It wasn't weeks before you escaped, but months, Lily;" her eyes widened, but she nodded. Azkaban stole the sense of time... "but yes, I believe he is."

Lily sighed deeply.

"I cursed people." she said, changing the subject entirely. "I didn't know what else to do. I wanted to feel better, but I couldn't see a way to do so. And then I cursed people, innocent people. I wanted them to to feel as miserable as I was..." her voice had no emotion, it was cold, as if she was describing a process.

Snape wasn't surprised by that. Even the most kind of souls would be unstable after passing years in Azkaban. Lily had always had a temper, and Lily post-Azkaban would be terrifying when said temper was provoked. She was feeling wronged, probably powerless too, and curse people would give her the sense of control she needed.

"What did you use?"

"Bone breaking, blood boiling and cutting curses. I have never... Before, you know... I have never gone in raids with the other Death Eaters. I didn't really like this."

"Do you like it now?" Severus asked. It wasn't really the question he wanted to ask, but he was almost sure that no matter how unstable Lily was she would not reveal why she joined the Death Eaters.

"I liked, and I feel bad because I did," Lily replied, looking at her nails. "But when I was cursing them it felt good, it made me feel... Warm."

"I have never been someone who enjoyed meaningless torture," he stated calmly, "I rarely participated on raids. My main work had been always brew potions... But when some prisoner was someone that I disliked, I won't lie, I liked the torture... Although I mostly liked to watch it rather than do it myself." he paused, choosing his words carefully. "I think that is only natural for you to do this... Now. Besides, when you joined the Dark Lord you knew you would have to eventually participate in these acts."

"No, I wouldn't have," Severus looked at her puzzled, and she explained. "We had a deal. At first James hesitated in participate too, but then he started to like it, he was never a saint, or at least he didn't care any more... But now I think that I would want to."

Snape was taken aback. The Dark Lord never made deals with anyone, unless he knew that the deal would be useless. If he wanted something he would make a deal and later break it...

Lily didn't mention that said 'deal' was an Unbreakable Vow.

"Do you feel bad for liking the torture?"

"Yes, and no;" she put her elbow on the arm of the chair and rested her head on her hand. "I know how my parents would be disgusted with me... How can I be a mother now? What would I say to my son? I... I saw him today, and he looked so innocent, so clean..."

"You saw your son today? How?"

"I have my ways." she replied dryly.

"You should know that today there was an informal meeting of the Order in Grimmauld Place. You shouldn't be there. And how did you know where to look for the child?"

Lily stared at him, as though that was the stupidest question ever.

"Sirius is Harry's godfather, so it was obvious where Harry would be. I just hope that he wasn't educated to hate me and James..."

Severus gulped and discreetly reached the wand in his pocket before enuciating the bad news.

"Black did not raise your son, Lily. Harry was left with Petunia."

"Dear Merlin!"

"But she didn't want him, so she left him in a muggle orphanage."

Lily exhaled sharply and closed her eyes, counting to ten and trying to calm herself.

"So Sirius left my son with Petunia?" she asked rhetorically and disbelieving. "He knows that she isn't the most pleasant person in the world. He knows she was jealous for me being a witch and that she isn't fond of magic either. And he left my Harry with her?"

Glasses broke in the room, Severus' favourite whiskey's bottle included. Lily stood up and paced on the carpet.

"And that idiot sister left my son in an orphanage... I don't know who I want to kill the most right now... I guess it is Black; Petunia at least is ignorant..." but then she turned to Severus, and he really did not like the rage he saw, as it was directed at him. "And where the hell were you?" she shouted and cursed him, he only put a shield o absorb the curse.

She sat again on the armchair, whispering something that Severus didn't understand promptly.

"And Malfoy... He knew. He knew and yet did nothing," Snape frowned. What did Lucius know? "Why didn't you take care of my son?" Lily asked coldly.

"I couldn't. Dumbledore had just convinced the Order that I was loyal... Raising the Potters' son would only make them suspicious... Besides, do you really think that I would be fit to raise a child, Lily?"

"Coward!" she shouted and cursed him again, but Snape used another shield. "The lot of you! You are all cowards! I guess Malfoy was trembling with fear too," then she laughed. "But when the time comes someone will not be happy with him, and I am not talking about James." she finished grinning and stood up again, walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Severus asked, but already knowing the answer.

"I do believe I have a marauder to curse into oblivion." she said, opened the door, exiting the anti-apparition wards and disapparating before Severus could say something else.

Severus sat on his sofa and began to think about the things Lily told him. The fact that Lily and James had a deal with the Dark Lord was disturbing. Why would he want a deal with a muggleborn Light witch and a blood traitor? Why? There was something really important behind the fact that he Potters joined the Death Eaters, and Lucius probably knew the reason why they did so.

He cast a reparo on the glasses that were broken thanks to Lily's magic and summoned from the kitchen a bottle of whiskey. Severus smirked thinking about what was going to happen to Black. Pity he wouldn't be there to see it.

.

Harry woke up with the noise of a raven tapping on his window. He frowned, wondering if he should let it in or not. Why would the animal annoy him in the middle of the night? Hades hooted happily, as though he wanted the raven to get in.

The boy opened the window and the bird flew inside. And then it transformed into a woman with red hair that fell on her waist. Harry immediately drew his wand and pointed at her; before he could say anything she turned to face him.

Eyes widened, Harry put his wand down.

"Mother?"

She smiled and nodded, tears falling from her eyes.

"Yes, my boy, it's me."

Harry had a knot on his throat and was breathing heavily. He didn't know exactly what to do, but that confusion lasted mere seconds, because Lily opened her arms, offering an embrace. He threw himself at her arms, and both stood there, hanging at each other and crying silently.

"I am sorry I didn't come sooner, but I didn't want to reveal myself," she said and caressed his cheek.

"Harry!" called Sirius' voice from outside the door. "The wards were triggered, there is someone in the house."

The door opened and before Sirius could react Lily shouted.

"_Expelliarmus!_"

"Kreacher!" Harry called.

"Yes, master Harry, what yous is wanting?" the elf said after popping in the room.

"Lock the floo. If someone comes here tell them to wait downstairs."

"You will not do such thing, Kreacher. Call Dumbledore."

"Kreacher is not wanting to obey master Sirius," the elf said and punched himself. "Kreacher is not calling Dumbledore. Bad elf, bad elf! Mistress told Kreacher to obey young master Harry, and Kreacher is doing this." the elf popped out of the room. Harry grinned.

"Do you know what I found out today, Sirius Black?" Lily asked walking towards the man. "That you left my son to be raised by Petunia. _Incarcerous._ And I know that you were aware of how lovely Petunia is. I think you should be grateful that she left Harry in an orphanage, I guess it would have been very, very worse if she raised him. And if it was the case, you would be dead right now."

Sirius swallowed loudly. The blasted elf was his last hope and the creature refused to obey him.

"Lily I—" but Sirius didn't finish his sentence, which was cut by a scream that he let off when a bone breaking curse hit his right arm.

"I want to hear what is your excuse, Sirius."

"You are crazy, Li—"

"Of course I am crazy, I just got out of Azkaban, you imbecile!" she shouted and sent a cutting hex on his right leg. He screamed again. "Now start talking because I don't know how much my patience will last. Why did you leave my son with my magic hating sister?"

Sirius wasn't sure if his answer would help him, but seeing that his situation was already really bad, he decided to talk.

"I didn't know what to tell him. I... Even after what you did, after what you and James did I still had some consideration for you, for the old times, you know? And I couldn't raise him to hate you both, it would be despicable... I left him to be raised away from magic, away from prejudice, because I thought that then he would not want to follow your steps!"

Harry laughed soundly.

Lily raised one eyebrow.

"You are an irresponsible, inconsequent, coward man, Black!" she spat. "You are all pitiful excuses of wizards. You, Malfoy, and Severus! I can't believe all of you are giving me laughable excuses because you abandoned my son. I trusted you and Severus, you know..."

"Don't compare me to Snivellus!" The man said, feeling disgusted.

"I trusted him, yes, and he failed me too. However... The responsibility was _yours_. _Ignis sensatus_."

Sirius felt as if his whole body was in flames, but the curse only caused the sensation, it didn't really burn; which doesn't mean that there wasn't after effects.

Harry, for his part, wasn't understanding much of what his mother was saying. What did his head os house and Malfoy - Lucius? - have to do with him?

"And tell me, Black, why is Harry living with you now?"

"Because, mother," Harry spoke before Sirius could answer "he thought that your presence would be endangering to me, that's what he told me, though I would believe that he also wanted me to be away from you."

Lily looked directly at Sirius and shook her head.

"Bad decision, Sirius. But, at the same time I am glad that my son is not living in an orphanage any more. Tell me, Harry, is he treating you rightly?"

"He is decent, but he doesn't allow my friends to come here, and neither he allows me to visit them."

"And why, Sirius, you don't allow Harry's friends to come here?"

"They aren't fitting friends."

"Oh, shut up!" Harry shouted. "You don't want them here because they are all sons of Death Eaters."

"Is that so?" Lily said frowning. "You offend me, Sirius. I am, after all, a Death Eater too. Now, I'm done with talking with you. I will stun you and when you wake up I will be gone. I want you to treat Harry in a better way. I don't want you to spoil him, Merlin forbid! But you have to agree that forbidding his friends to visit is very unreasonable. Good bye, Black. I would pray for every god you know, because James might not be so forgiving as I am. _Stupefy._"

Harry was amazed. His mother was sweet and scary at the same time. And she didn't even think about harming him. Dumbledore and Sirius were wrong.

Before leaving Harry and Lily talked. She revealed him how she escaped Azkaban - using her animagus form of a raven when the wards were weakened for some reason that was unknown to her. The boy told her that he was Slytherin and all the things that happened in Hogwarts - including Snape's little talk with Quirrellmort - and about his friends.

Harry also explained that he already knew about the Potter fortune and that he hasn't taken too much money from his trust vault, even if the amount of gold in there was huge.

Lily, in the middle of the conversation, remembered that the prior day had been Harry's birthday and was mortified to think that she had almost forgotten it - she blamed Azkaban for it. She promised him that she would send him something, and that he would know it was from her.

Harry became frustrated when his mother refused to tell him why his father and her joined the Dark Lord. She said it was too soon, but that one day he would know. Harry tried to insist, but she gave him a glare that meant he would not have his answer. Not that night.

"Sirius is waking, I should go," she said and walked towards the window.

"We could stupefy him again." Harry suggested.

"No, I shouldn't have stayed so long anyway. Don't look for me, son, but keep an open eye because I might seek you. Don't tell anybody about my animagus form, not even your best friend; only your father and a few Death Eaters know about it. Good bye, I love you, don't ever doubt that everything I did was for you."

She transformed into the raven and flew away. Harry was smiling. He had finally met his mother.

Too bad he would have to deal with Black.


	5. The Haunted Ones

**Someone asked for a Cassiopeia's POV. This chapter contains it (this chapter contains a lot of POVs, actually) and I must say that in the future there are more and more from the little Lestrange (especially in Harry's sixth and seventh year).**

**Originally, chapter 4 and 5 were only one. As you can see, chapter 5 is already enormous and that's why I separated them. Besides, I wanted to focus more on Lily in the last chapter, and with so many things happening on this one, things would get just random thrown. **

**I hope the talking about magic doesn't make you bored.**

**Replying to the reviews:**

**- This story WILL NOT be Harry/Voldemort (I put the pair [Harry, OC] to clarify it). This is not a pair that I really like (yes, I've read two of three that were really good, but it's not my cup of tea. For slash pairings I prefer to stick with Drarry and Snarry). The main pair on Mirror will be Harry/Cassiopeia. It may contain SLASH and/or FEMSLASH in side pairings (though this story will not contain explicit sexual content).**

**- Harry won't have fan girls at Hogwarts (leave them to Longbottom hahaha).**

**- Cassiopeia's personality will not be too much like Bella's. Keep in mind that there is a huge reason for this *grins*.**

**- Lily left Sirius alive because she is not too far gone in sadism and craziness, and maybe there is a bit of rationality in letting he live - so Harry doesn't need to be sent again to the the orphanage. **

**The questions I didn't answer will either be soon answered or I refused to reply in the fear of spoilers. I saw your questions and I want to answer them all, but I can't, sorry.**

**I liked the theories you proposed, by the way. Now, chapter five, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing. I edited this until exhaustion - a chapter harder to edit than to write, but I apologise if there is something very weird written below!**

**Chapter 5 - The Haunted Ones**

Harry watched Sirius Black waking up with a mischievous smile on his lips. The man was still being held by Lily's spell. When he finally regained consciousness a grimace contorted his face. He was in some pain. His arm hurt like hell, the cut on his leg was stinging and the after effects of the _Ignis Sensatus_ were making him feel like his whole body had been burnt.

"So..." Harry suddenly said, startling the man, "Perhaps I should just obliviate you, I am sure I can learn the spell while you are comfortably restrained. However, I do want you to remember what happened and I of course want the benefits from it, like the fact that now my friends are allowed here and I can go wherever I want. I can take care of myself, what else do you think I did in the past years?"

Sirius reluctantly nodded. He was tied, wandless and the elf wouldn't help him, surely. What else could he do?

"Good. I know that you will just run to tell this to Dumbledore and the Ministry, so listen very carefully. I might be _just a boy_, I may not know a lot of spells and I may be legally under your authority; but I will not be like this forever. If my mother gets caught due to your little necessity to spread the news I will kill you someday, I swear," Harry then freed the man and called Kreacher.

The elf popped into the room and looked at Sirius, shaking his head.

"Kreacher I need you to tend to Mr. Black's injuries."

"Yes, young Harry. Kreacher is taking care of the worthless mistress' son. Such a shame to the House of Black."

Harry chuckled and closed his door at the same time that the elf popped away, taking Sirius with him. He quickly began to write to Cassiopeia.

_Dear Cass_

_Due to a happy circumstance that just occurred you are now allowed to visit me. What I have to tell you cannot be written. The floo will be opened tomorrow at noon. Please let me know if you cannot come._

_Harry._

He attached the letter to Hades and lied down on his bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking.

Why would his mother keep trusting Sirius Black after his rejection? And why would she want Snape, someone who did not a have paternal inclination at all if his classes were anything to go by, to raise him? And why Malfoy should do this as well?

Thinking too much wouldn't clarify the things, so Harry decided to sleep.

.

In the next day Cassiopeia came by the floo. Sirius, already healed from his injuries, glared at the girl when she stepped out of the hearth, but said nothing. Both teens snickered.

"I'm glad that someone finally saw reason, Harry," the girl said sardonically.

"Well, when reason is thrown at your face what else can you do?" he replied playfully, making her confused. "Come with me," Harry said and walked towards the corridor where Walburga's portrait was located.

Harry opened the curtains of the portrait. The woman in the painting looked at him and smiled, but when her eyes layed upon Cassiopeia her smile grew wider.

"Bellatrix looked a lot like you when she was a child, except her eyes. You are Cassiopeia, my niece's daughter!"

"And you are Walburga Black," the girl replied, "I've heard a lot about you from my Aunt Cissy."

"I am sure you did. It is wonderful to see that the Black blood is still powerful; pity our name will not be passed ahead," Walburga lamented and sighed. "I can see that you are anxious to talk with my niece, Mr. Potter. You two may go and talk about whatever put this grin on your face."

Harry chuckled. Both teens bid farewell to Walburga and climbed the stairs to go to Harry's room. The first thing Cassiopeia spotted was the owl.

"Seriously, Harry, Hades?" she said shaking her head.

"I first thought of Zeus, but he didn't quite like it. Tried Hermes too, but to the same result. He happily took the name Hades," he said and shrugged.

"So... What happened that Black suddenly decided that the daughter of his big, bad, crazy cousin could visit you?"

Harry smirked, his eyes shinning.

"My mother happened."

The girl widened her eyes, her mouth took the form of an 'O' and then she laughed softly.

"Go on, tell me the rest," she said slightly annoyed by Harry's pause.

"Look, I promised my mother I wouldn't tell anybody how she got here, so I will just say that she entered my room. She hugged me," he said a little embarrassed, "and we just stayed hugging each other for some moments. Then, Black knocked on my door telling me that the wards had been triggered and that someone invaded the house. He opened the door and before he could see or do anything my mother disarmed him."

The girl shook her head, disbelieving in Sirius' stupidity.

"And then," Harry continued, "she began to shout and throw curses at him. She found out that he left me with her muggle sister, who left me in the orphanage" the boy looked a little malicious now, "I must say that she was, shall we say, unhappy about that." Then Harry looked puzzled at Cassiopeia. "What I don't understand is what she told him afterwards. She said that she trusted him, Professor Snape and your uncle and that they were cowards, the lot of them. I mean, why would she trust Black after everything to raise me? And why would she want Snape to raise me? I mean, he is our head of house and he teaches me Occlumency, but there isn't a paternal bone in that man."

"Surely," she agreed.

"And why would the Malfoys want to raise me? I mean, I know they are all Death Eaters, but still..."

They both remained silent as none of them had an answer for that.

"Then she stunned Sirius and we talked while he was unconscious. She refused to tell me why my father and her joined the Dark Lord."

Cassiopeia raised her eyebrows, but she wasn't totally surprised by that. Harry's mother must think that the boy was still too innocent to hear such things. There were, after all, Death Eaters that only joined the Dark Lord because they craved to cause pain to others. If that was the case, Lily Potter certainly wouldn't want to confess her reasons - yet.

"Did she tell you how she escaped Azkaban?"

"Yes," Harry said hesitantly, "But I can't tell you, sorry. Do you want something to drink or eat?" He asked casually.

"Orange juice, please."

Cassiopeia wasn't happy that Harry was keeping secrets from her, but although they were good friends, they didn't really know each other; and it was probably Lily Potter who asked Harry to keep that other secret. The girl wouldn't push Harry into telling her - it would do no good for their friendship, Potter wasn't a person to take being pushed kindly, that much was certain.

"Kreacher!" Harry called and the elf popped in the room.

"Yes, young Master Harry, what is yous wishing?"

"Two glasses of orange juice."

The elf bowed, but before leaving he looked at Cassiopeia.

"Yous is Mistress Bellatrix's daughter!" he said cheerfully. "Kreacher always liked Mistress Bellatrix. She was a pride to the House of Black." and he popped out.

Cassiopeia chuckled.

"I've told you, house-elves are really odd." Harry said.

The girl shook her head.

"They are, but Dobby is weirder than ever. You didn't grow up in the wizarding world, so you are not really used to them. They might look all crazy little creatures, but they have their own personalities, and Dobby is doing something. I tried to tell Uncle Lucius, but he laughed at me."

"What this Dobby is doing?"

Kreacher popped in the room and delivered the glasses of juice.

"You know that house-elves punish themselves when they disobey or displease their masters, right?" Harry nodded. He had seen Kreacher doing that everytime he refused to follow Black's orders. "I saw Dobby punishing himself, but he hasn't displeased nobody in that house, believe me, I would know if he did."

Harry narrowed his eyes. Cassiopeia took a sip of her juice.

"So you think..." Potter trailed off.

"That Dobby is doing something against Uncle Lucius' orders in secret. As I said, I tried to warn him, but my uncle only said 'frankly, Cassiopeia, you are overestimating the elf, he knows his place and what will happen to him if he does anything against me'." she sighed "Frustrating."

"Well," Harry said, "does the elf know any secret of the Malfoys? Maybe he knows something; you know, about Quirrell..."

Cassiopeia tilted her head, thinking. Maybe Lucius knew something about the Dark Lord and the blasted elf too, and was trying to leak the information.

"I don't know. Uncle Lucius seems to be unaware of the Dark Lord. I think Snape is the only Death Eater that had contact with Him in the last years. I believe that were the Dark Lord rising in power again I would notice changes in Uncle Lucius' behaviour. I am, after all, someone who sometimes likes to just observe and put the pieces together."

"Do you know if your uncle has some illegal activity running in the Ministry?"

She shook her head.

"Absolutely not. He tries to look as impeccable as possible, and as long as he does no try to use his influence in the Ministry for his... Cause - which he is not doing, since we are both surmising that the Dark Lord is still... Doing whatever he did in the last years - he is a honesty citizen of the Wizarding World; as far as I know."

"So what do you think the elf is doing?"

"No idea, but I will find out sooner or later."

"When you do, let me know."

"Sure... And when you are allowed to reveal some of your secrets, I want to know he first to hear them."

Harry took a deep breath. Besides his promise to his mother of not revealing her animagus form - and consequently how she got out of Azkaban - that was the first time he would promise something for someone. He nodded.

"You will be the first to hear it."

The girl had a winner's smile on her lips.

"Hey," Harry called "why couldn't we just wait and find that potion recipe in Hogwarts? Since we are obviously not going to brew it during summer, especially because Anthony won't be with us to use it."

"Harry, do you know who is the Headmaster of Hogwarts?" Cassiopeia asked rhetorically. "You are very aware of the kind of ideals he supports. Now think with me: a potion that shows blood inheritances, magical inheritances and things related to ancestry. Do you really think that he would allow such book at the reach of students?"

Harry frowned, he was sure that what Cassiopeia said made sense - for her - but he wasn't understanding what she meant.

"Family magic. Does it ring a bell?"

Harry shook his head and the girl sighed.

"This is why we need a Wizard's Studies class for muggleborn and muggle raised students. You are a very curious boy, and read a lot of books, but there is knowledge that you don't even know that exists. Like Family Magic.

"There are families in which a certain talent is passed through the years. For example, the Princes were famous for their talented potioneers. The Doholovs are known for Spell Creation. The Blacks have some metamorphmagi, pity I didn't inherited it... Anyway, special abilities or extreme abilities in common magic are passed by blood.

"Now, muggleborns rarely pass their abilities to their children. I am not saying that they are inferior, only that their blood is not strong enough to carry their magic. Usually muggleborns can be very talented, like Granger. Merlin knows how much Draco is whinning because, like he says 'the little mudblood know-it-all bested him in everything but Potions'. But they hardly will pass that to their children. It is very sad.

"However, there is a way to change this. As you can guess, it is by a muggleborn being married to a pureblood. Like your parents, like Ted Tonks, who married my aunt, Andromeda Black. I have a cousin, Nymphadora, who is going to start her seventh year, that is a metamorphmagus. She is a half-blood, and her children may inherit her gift too, and whatever ability Ted Tonks has will be manifested somewhen in the future. This is the same for your mother."

Harry's jaw dropped, it really did.

"But most of the Light wizards support that a muggleborn marries another if they want!"

"Yes, but this is not he worst! At least when muggleborns marry each other their magic don't get diluted. They only, as I already explained, will not pass their abilities to their children, and whatever new magic they may possess will not be passed. What really outrages me is that Light wizards encourage even wizards marrying muggles!

"The first generation that is born from such marriage will not have a weaker magic, considering that the wizard or witch was a strong one. But if this child grows up and marries a muggle too magic will begin to weaken, and Family Magic to disappear."

Cassiopeia remained silent for some minutes, giving Harry time to understand everything.

"This is another reason why our worlds should be separated," Harry stated "If a wizard doesn't know about this he might get to know a muggle and in the end marry them... Why don't Light wizards see this?"

"Because they don't want to. They want so badly to believe that we are not better than muggles for having magic that the notion that muggles dilute our magic is highly unwanted, for their 'campaign', it is. People might even think we aren't better," she said, biting a mocking laugh, "but even if we weren't, still, I wouldn't want to see the world loosing magic. What do you think it would happen if both worlds were blended?"

Harry pondered on that, though it was fairly obvious.

"In about a century most magic would be already diluted. Probably only the dark pureblood families would still have their magic... And some new families firstly composed by muggleborns that married between them or to purebloods..."

"Exactly. Now, do you think that Dumbledore doesn't know this?" Cassiopeia asked suggestively.

Harry laughed darkly.

"Of course he does."

"I must be honest, between dark families there are a lot of misunderstanding too. Some chose to believe that because muggleborns can't pass their Family Magic ahead without marrying a pureblood they are inferior... But if you think, they actually bring new magics o our world. It's not shameful to need help. Some also believe that they dilute Family Magic, but this is hardly true... As my cousin's case illustrates."

Harry remembered Walburga talking about Andromeda, and used the opportunity to ask about her.

"In my first conversation with Walburga, when I told her that I knew Narcissa's niece, she asked me if I were friend of Andromeda's spawn. I take your aunt is not very... Dear, here. Why?"

"You see, she married a muggleborn, as I've already told you. But before she used to be around some Light wizards fascinated by muggle things. She dated a muggle."

"Oh, Merlin!" Harry whispered, horrified.

"Walburga probably got stuck in time and thinks that Andromeda might have married a muggle. It doesn't help that she actually still like them. As far as I know, Ted Tonks is what we call a mudblood who wants to, as we say, 'keep the best of both worlds', not seeing that this threatens our own."

Harry nodded. He had seen a lot of that in his two years of Hogwarts. Students that wanted to bring their muggle things to the wizarding world and/or spread to their muggle relatives that magic really existed.

"You've never told me you have another cousin in Hogwarts!"

"We hardly see each other. She is in Hufflepuff and doesn't like the dark side of the Black family, influence of her mother, obviously. But I am almost sure that your godfather and Andromeda are in good relations. Besides, you also never told me what you learn in your private lessons with Snape!"

The boy sighed. Since Cassiopeia heard Snape confessing to Quirrellmort that Harry had private lessons she had never confronted him about that, waiting for him to willingly reveal, he thought.

"It's no big deal. I shouldn't tell you, but he teaches me Occlumency so that I can shield my mind and learn Dark Arts."

"I wonder what possessed Snape to agree with, how would he say? Teaching a little dim-witted brat more than he is payed for."

"He offered it."

Cassiopeia looked completely dumbfounded. That must be something to have in a pensieve - Snape offering help to a student, Slytherin or not.

"Well... We will never know if he was in his normal state of mind, but it is good that you learning both things."

"I am not learning Dark Arts yet... He told me I was going to start them probably this next term, since my Occlumency is good enough for the Headmaster not find out that his little pet is teaching a student the horrible Dark Arts."

Cassiopeia laughed.

"Dumbledore is powerful and smart, but sometimes he can be so oblivious that I even pity him."

.

That year Harry went to Diagon Alley accompanied by the Malfoys and Cassiopeia to buy his school supplies. He bought the standard books plus the Divination and Ancient Runes ones - the electives he had chosen. Cassiopeia almost slapped him when she discovered that he had taken Divination.

"Dear mother of Salazar, what is that... Thing?" Harry muttered when they entered Flourish and Blotts and he saw a blonde man smiling like and idiot - and saying even more idiot things - looking like a baboon.

"Gilderoy Lockhart. Your new professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts," Lucius replied disgusted. "I tried to convince the Board to refuse him as a teacher, but no one else wanted the job, and Dumbledore convinced the others."

"I thought Quirrell was bad, but he at least was an idiot that didn't try to act like he wasn't..." Draco said and Harry giggled - even if it was Draco who said that, - Cassiopeia glared at Harry and he shrugged. He was sure that Quirrell's non-Voldemort-possessed part was really dumb.

"Oh Merlin, the Weasels and Longbottom," Cassiopeia said and took Harry's hand, pulling him away from the Malfoys. When they were alone he looked at her confused. "That is going to be childish. There is a blood feud between the Malfoys and the Weasels. Let them to their feud, I'm a Lestrange and you are a Potter, we don't need to be involved in their fight, even if I don't like the Weasels and Longbottom."

"As if anyone needed a blood feud to insult some of them," Harry said maliciously. "Ronald Weasley really knows how to get in stunts..."

"He is the Weasley version of Draco."

Harry burst in laugh.

"I didn't know you really hated your cousin, Cass!" she only smirked and said nothing more about that.

Ten minutes later Draco found the other two teens and told them that they should meet with his parents because they were leaving.

.

Harry's relationship with Sirius was better by the last week of August. They mostly just avoided each other, only meeting for meals. It was a Sunday, August 25th, and Black looked cheerful in the breakfast.

"My cousin is coming here today, Harry," he said hesitantly, "would you like to know her?"

"I already know Narcissa, and I suppose Bellatrix is still stuck in Azkaban... So I think that Andromeda is coming?"

Sirius narrowed his eyes, and his expression became a little angry.

"I take that your little Lestrange friend already babbled ill things about Andromeda," he stated.

"Well, the woman actually dated a muggle and married a mudb—"

"Don't say this word, boy!"

"Very well, she married an ignorant muggleborn."

Black took a deep breath, and Harry could see that he had really angered the man. He couldn't help, though, he wouldn't be nice to Black - at least not before the man said he was sorry for abandoning him in the muggle world. Slytherin pride winning over the notion that Sirius wasn't so bad, after all.

"I try to be civil to you, Potter, but you really are not helping. Andromeda and Nymphadora, her daughter, are coming today. You will either behave yourself, which includes not calling Ted whatever your Slytherin prejudiced mind thinks, or you will stay in your room."

"All right, I want to meet your cousin," Harry said neutrally. "I won't say anything inappropriate. I want to see Nymphadora, I've never seen a metamorphmagus."

Sirius raised his eyebrows, and seemed taken aback.

"How do you know that she is a metamorphmagus?"

"Cassiopeia explained me a few things about Family Magic."

"Oh," and then he looked even more confused.

When Andromeda and Nymphadora arrived Sirius tried his best to introduce Harry without causing any discomfort to either his cousin or to the boy. The visit went well - Harry kept his mouth shut when they talked about something muggle that Ted was doing. Potter and Nymphadora even seemed to get along. The metamorphmagus showed Harry all sorts of changes she could do, what the boy loved. Little did they know how many things that visit would change.

.

They were in the Hogwarts Express. Harry, Cassiopeia, Anthony, Septimus and Maya. Potter told his other friends everything he had already told to Lestrange about his mother and how she cursed Sirius Black into submission. They had a good laugh.

In the middle of the trip, only Harry and Anthony were in the compartment. Cassiopeia and Maya were talking with the other Slytherin girls, and Septimus was again speaking with his Ravenclaw relatives. Someone opened the door to their cabin, startling both boys that were playing chess.

"So it was the right door," said a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was a first year, since there was no house-clasp attached to her clothes. "I just wanted to see you," she said, looking at Harry, and left immediately.

"What was that?" Anthony asked.

"No idea. I've never seen that girl. A bit crazy she looks."

"A bit?"

A half hour later the door opened again, it was Nymphadora Tonks, using a bubble gum pink hair.

"Hello, Nymphadora!" Harry greeted. The girl actually was decent and good company.

She pursed her lips but said nothing about the hatred name.

"Hi, Potter. Came to say hello, couldn't leave you all to the company of Slytherins, could I?"

"Well, if you don't mind me being Slytherin..."

"I suppose I can endure that. Who is your friend?" she asked eyeing Anthony.

"Anthony Rosier," he replied and the girl's expression became a little cautious.

"Pleasure to meet you, Rosier," she said and extended her hand, which the boy shook politely. "Nymphadora Tonks." she looked at Harry again, "So where's my cousin?"

"She is with the other Slytherin girls, why?"

Tonks shrugged.

"I just wanted to say hello. I've never really talked with her. My mother actually doesn't seem to want me near her. But you are a decent boy, she can't be that bad if you are her friend."

Harry was a little taken aback. First the girl didn't seem to mind that his parents were Death Eaters and then she even wanted to get to know Bellatrix's daughter. He considered that a progress.

"Maybe they are both bad together," Anthony joked.

"Yes, maybe..." the girl agreed, "Well, I must go now. I am the Hufflepuff prefect and used the excuse of patrolling to come and say hello. Tell my cousin that I sent my regards."

"Sure," Harry said waving his hand, "bye. See you in Hogwarts."

"See ya, Harry, Rosier."

"You are a weird person, Harry," Anthony said when Nymphadora was gone. "I don't know how you made it. A Hufflepuff, son of a blood traitor and a mudblood, befriended the son of James Potter and wants to get along with her cousin, who is the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange, insane torturer."

"It is my charm," Harry said grinning. "Maybe I will now befriend a Weasley and we can all make the whole Wizarding World drop their jaws and bow before my irresistible charisma."

"Full of ourselves, are we?"

The rest of the trip was passed smoothly. Harry won the first match against Anthony, who won the second.

Harry was really intrigued by the blonde girl, even if she looked a little crazy.

.

"Look, Harry, that girl from the train," Anthony said when Luna Lovegood was called to be sorted.

Cassiopeia looked interested.

"What girl?" she asked.

Harry explained her what happened. She also found the situation very odd.

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted.

"I don't know a lot about her family. I think there were healers in the Lovegood family, though." Cassiopeia said casually.

"I think you shouldn't worry yourself about her," Septimus said. "She does look a bit nuts."

The sorting continued.

"Another one," Anthony mumbled when Ginny Weasley was called "no wonder they are so poor. With all that children to feed even the Malfoys would go penniless."

Cassiopeia laughed aloud.

"Maybe Draco wouldn't be such a git if he had siblings. If they spoiled seven children like they did to him they would certainly go poor."

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted and the Great Hall fell silent. The first Weasley in centuries that wasn't sorted into Gryffindor. Granted, it wasn't that bad, since it was Hufflepuff.

"My, my, we _are_ seeing History happening before our eyes," Anthony said.

"Oh, shut up. It is just Hufflepuff. Imagine if she got in Slytherin... I bet she would receive a howler tomorrow." Cassiopeia spoke giggling. "Though it is a little progress, I guess," Harry glared at the girl, "no offense, dear. And I know that despite your parents being lions you are not very fond of that house either."

.

Defence Against the Dark Arts was officially the most ridiculous thing Harry had ever been subjected to. Gilderoy Lockhart was just an idiot waving a stick. It was the second week of classes and they hadn't learnt absolutely nothing.

"Gilderoy Lockhart's favourite colour?" Harry whispered. "What shit it this?"

"Language, Harry," Cassiopeia reprehended him and he rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, someone please bring us Quirrell back!" Septimus murmured.

"Someone bring a house elf to teach the class and we will be fine!" Anthony replied.

"I won't do it," Harry heard someone behind him speaking. Sophia Shaqif. He snorted. Was the girl stupid? She just needed to write whatever nonsense came to her mind. But no, she had to act Gryffindorish...

At the end of the class Lockhart called Sophia. Later Harry found out that she earned a detention. At least he didn't take points, Harry thought.

"Before the end on the summer I bought all the ingredients we will need for the potion. I've already started to brew it a week ago. The concotion takes three weeks to be finished. When it is done we will cut your fingers and put seven drops of blood in it. Then we will leave the potion linking to our family's magic. It might take from three days to weeks for us to have our bloodlines completely detailed; depending on how ancient is the family. But, before, I need you guys to say some incantations and cast some spells on your potions."

Harry gave a sheet of parchment to Cassiopeia and Anthony with identical instructions.

"Memorize it until Sunday. It will be a new moon, and this ritual will work more efficiently."

Cassiopeia was gaping.

"I asked you a heritage potion, Harry, not a bloody dark ritual."

Harry pursed his lips, obviously annoyed.

"The common heritage potions only cover blood ancestry. This ritual covers magical ancestry as well."

"Well, I hope you are brewing this in a discreet place."

"Don't worry, Cassiopeia, the potion itself has no Dark Magic that can be traced until we add our blood - and when we do that the vials will be safe in our dorms, obviously, - there is no reason to fear, I will not get caught."

.

Cassiopeia was on her dorm reading. It was Saturday, and so she could postpone breakfast, a little. She heard Sophia Shaqif yawning. The other girl groaned, her brown hair glued on her forehead that was covered in sweat. Lestrange frowned, usually Sophia wasn't like that.

Helena Rowle entered the dorm, searched for something on her trunk and got out without saying anything. Rowle was and odd girl. Too quiet, oh, she was actually antisocial with almost everyone except the Selwyn boy - who according to Harry, Anthony and Septimus, was another odd creature too.

Maya was still asleep. Sophia groaned again.

"Are you all right?" Cassiopeia asked.

"Yes, it is just a headache... I will ask Professor Snape a potion."

Cassiopeia repeated in a quiet voice the incantation she would need to chant tomorrow. Damn Harry Potter and his will to make things perfect. It was very rare for a person to have ancestries given by magic and not by blood, the ritual would probably be a waste of time... She repeated again a part of the incantation. Latin was a very beautiful language.

She changed her clothes, used the bathroom and went downstairs. Only Anthony was in the common room.

"Good morning," she said cheerfully. "Where's Harry?"

"Brewing the damned potion."

"Hm. And what are you doing?"

"DADA essay."

"Good luck with that, I'm going to the Great Hall to have breakfast. See you later."

Lestrange was looking for Harry - where would he boy be brewing the potion in secret? - and passed in a hallway that was empty - or so she thought.

"Oh, Ronald! You shouldn't have fought with Malfoy in Potions class. You two already lost a lot of points before the welcome feast and you just keep being baited by Malfoy so Professor Snape can take more and more points!" she heard Hermione Granger's voice and stopped, wanting to hear more.

"Hermione, we already told you!" sounded Longbottom's voice. "We got stuck in the muggle part of the station. It was Dobby's fault!"

Cassiopeia's eyes went wide. What in Merlin's name?

"Do you really think that I am going to believe this story, Neville? You two violated the Statute of Secrecy, crashed a flying car in the Whomping Willow, no wonder Professor Snape wanted to expell you. And to justify this you tell me that some house elf invaded your house and told you to not come to Hogwarts because terrible things will happen and that he tried to stop you from coming? Please, Neville, I am much smarter than this."

"But it is true, Hermione!" Neville cried.

So the blasted elf was babbling something to Longbottom... Cassiopeia needed proof of that - and then Lucius would handle the little thing. She grinned, knowing that she had discovered why Gryffindor started negative of points.

"I can't believe you agree with that greasy git, Hermione!" Ronald said outraged.

"Well, perhaps expelling you would be a bit too much, but you totally deserve the detentions and, sadly, losing the points. Slytherin has won the house cup for the last eight years..."

"I thought you didn't care about house rivalry, Hermione."

"I don't," the witch replied "but Malfoy called me a mudblood and I just want to throw on his face that I am better than him and that Gryffindor can best Slytherin."

That was interesting, Cassiopeia mused. The three Gryffindors started to talk about Lockhart, and she decided that nothing interest would come from their conversation any more. She left, continuing to look for Harry.

Harry wasn't on the library, but she found him when returning to the dungeons.

"Anthony said you were looking for me."

"I was. Tell me, where do you go to brew the potion?"

Harry grinned - the kind of grin that infuriated her... Well, not exactly...

"I won't tell you. I don't want any of you messing with my potions."

"Oh dear, you really need to stop your private lessons with Snape, or you will end up a little dungeon bat."

"Merlin forbid, Cassiopeia! You and Anthony will know the place tomorrow, you'll have to do the incantation and the spells there."

Lestrange nodded and began to tell Harry about the conversation she overheard.

"Interesting," Harry said, his eyes calculating and she knew he was trying to come with a theory. "Your uncle is obviously plotting something against the precious boy who lived."

Cassiopeia snorted, hoping that her uncle was being careful - or he would end up in Azkaban.

"I will hex that elf myself the next time I see him," she said furiously. How dared the creature to plot against his master? It seemed that Lucius' fierce punishments were not enough to teach the stupid elf. .

Harry was chuckling. She raised one eyebrow, inquisitive.

"I will suggest Black to hex Kreacher to see if the elf obeys him," then he rolled his eyes "but he obviously will take pity on the elf. I guess that's why the elf is so petulant to him."

Cassiopeia grimaced, disgusted with people that didn't know their place to punish their servants. Uncle Lucius always taught her how to handle the house-elves. Tiky, her personal elf, never dared to defy her.

"Well," Harry said "We need to find Anthony to train the incantation. I would be most displeased if I had to brew the blasted thing twice because one of you said it wrongly.

"Excuse me?" she spoke indignant. "are you forgetting that you can do it wrong too?"

"I will not," Harry replied smirking.

.

They were in a bathroom. A haunted bathroom. Harry could see the disappointment in Cassiopeia's face. What was she expecting? A full lab?

"Harry Potter, you brought me to a bathroom haunted by an annoying ghost," she complained.

He shrugged.

"Stop shrugging! I've told you a thousand time to stop this hideous habit."

"I think I will replace McGonagall's voice for yours when I reprehend myself in my mind, Cass."

The girl snorted.

"Let's do this incantation," the girl said.

"Yes, let's go with this. I want to see my heritage soon!" Anthony agreed.

"Very well," Harry said and put one cauldron in front of Anthony, one in front of Cassiopeia and one in front of him. "One by one we will say the incantation and cast the spell. The potion _will be lost_ if you only say a wrong word, so pay attention."

Each one of them chanted the Latin words. The full incantation took at least five minutes. And then they cast the spell needed. The liquid on the cauldrons shone in a faint red. Harry put some more ingredients on them, muttered some other spells and put them away.

"Merlin's beard, Harry," exclaimed an awed Anthony "this must be a NEWT level thing!"

"NEWT level of what, Rosier, Dark Rituals?" Cassiopeia said and chuckled. "We will be so screwed if we get caught doing this."

Harry didn't mention that in his private lessons Snape had almost seen on his mind that Harry was brewing that potion. The girl would be paranoid if he did. Those lessons were starting to pay off, too. Now Harry was being introduced to the practice of the basics of Dark Arts. Only cutting and burning curses thay could be used for almost any purpose, but only the 'clean' curses - the ones that required intent but that left no after effects where or whom they were used.

They left he bathroom. The three cauldrons were being maintained heated and under a mild disillusionment charm in a corner - which Harry had cast just in case... Nobody ever used that bathroom anyway.

.

One month of classes had passed and Nymphadora Tonks was worried. As a prefect, she had to know a lot of things of the students of her house, a work she did with dedication. There were three students acting very odd, and she thought that maybe something was wrong with them.

The first was Evangeline Thompsom, a second year muggleborn student. The girl seemed to have some lapses of memory, but she always denied that, saying that it was only tiredness.

The second was Andrew MacMillian, a fourth year pureblood. Some of his dorm mates informed Nymphadora that since two weeks ago he couldn't sleep very well, apparently suffering from nightmares. He also seemed to have some kind of memory lapses.

The third one was Ginny Weasley, that often disappeared for hours and hours without any excuse, and was always carrying a leather book with her as though it was her life. That wouldn't be so weird in Ravenclaw, but in Hufflepuff it was.

Nymphadora wanted to tell that to Professor Sprout, but first she wanted to be sure that something was really wrong, not wanting to worry her head of house for nothing.

She decided to talk with prefects from other houses to know if they had observed similar behaviour in their houses.

Her conversation with the Gryffindor prefects went rather smoothly, and to her surprise - or not - they too had seem the same signs in o e of their house mates. She asked for the name, to make a list of the students. It was Dean Thomas, a second year.

The conversation with the Ravenclaw prefects went well too, but with no results. It seemed that the ravens were too bookish to actually pay attention to people that weren't close to them.

She dreaded needing to speak with the Slytherin prefects. Half of that house knew of who her mother was and what she supposedly had done. That is why she looked for Harry Potter instead. The boy was at least civil to her and could at least keep his mouth free of prejudice while in her presence. Not that she trusted him to not be a little prejudiced brat. Still, she rathered him than the prefects.

Turned out that Harry knew nothing about weird behaviours of his house mates. However, her cousin, Cassiopeia Lestrange, did know. The girl gave her no names - Slytherins and their house union - but she confirmed that some snakes had the same symptoms that Nymphadora had noticed in Hufflepuff.

After hearing that Harry became interested and decided to drag her and Cassiopeia to the library to investigate what could cause that on the students.

It was easy to find out: all those students had probably been obliviated, and more than once. It was haunting.

.

Theodore Nott had passed Harry the news that in the second year Daphne Greengrass was acting oddly. Potter had asked the second year to keep an eye opened about that since Tonks told him what was happening. He was almost sure that they had been obliviated - the signs fitted perfectly. The question was: who and why?

Something hideous was happening at Hogwarts, Harry knew that. Someone was probably harming the students...

Malfoy's elf! Was the creature referring to that when he told Longbottom that he shouldn't come to Hogwarts? Was that a plan of Lucius Malfoy?

There were purebloods among the 'victims'... That made Harry think that Lucius was not involved, however, that could be only a cover, obviously...

On the last day Cassiopeia and Anthony had their heritage potions ready, and had studied their family trees to exhaustion before going to sleep. Both their families had their origin in the marriage between the Delacroux and Cotillard families over one thousand years ago in France, both now extant.

Harry's potion, however, was not ready yet, which meant that his family had more ancient origins - nothing surprising, since it was rumoured that the Potter were direct descendents of Godric Gryffindor.

By the middle of October Harry's potion still wasn't ready, and he began to wonder if he had done something wrong - Cassiopeia would pester him forever if that was the case.

In the week that followed the number of students that were acting oddly were reduced. From the initial list only Sophia Shaqif and Dean Thomas were still having headaches and memory lapses. Ginny Weasley continued obsessed about the damn book.

And then Halloween came, and hell broke loose.

.

_**"THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE."**_

That was written in a wall on the second floor. Mr. Norris petrified and the bathroom was flooded. Harry, Cassiopeia and Anthony had heard were in the Great Hall when they heard about that. When they finally got to the second floor it was indeed true.

They arrived there in time to hear Draco Malfoy shouting something about mudbloods being the next.

It seemed that Neville Longbottom was caught in the scene by Filch, who was blaming the boy-who-lived for what happened. Professor Snape was berating Longbottom, and Harry wanted to understand what was happening.

Anthony explained him what was the Chamber of Secrets and told him the story about the mysterious monster that lived in the place, Salazar Slytherin's beast supposed to purge the school from muggleborns.

Harry exchanged a look with Cassiopeia. Lucius was behind that, and Dobby knew it.

"You need to owl your uncle, Cassiopeia. The elf could put him in serious trouble." Harry said in a quiet voice.

"He won't listen to me, Harry, I'm telling you."

"But he must stop!" Harry said harshly. "What the hell is wrong with him? Did he bewitched the Weaselette, Sophia and the Gryffindor boy? And what about the other students that were acting weirdly in the last weeks? And what if this monster kills somebody? He can get tossed in Azkaban!" Harry whispered so only Lestrange could hear.

Cassiopeia sighed annoyed, but she knew that Harry was right, her uncle was not only using mudbloods, but also purebloods on his plans. That was wrong. And Sophia had been having migraines, and her grades were lower... That was wrong.

"Listen, we will try to find more about this," Cassiopeia said staring at Harry.

"Er... What are you guys talking about Cassiopeia's uncle?" Anthony asked. Damn! Harry had forgotten that the boy was there. He liked Anthony, really, but he wasn't ready to trust him with all his secrets. Cassiopeia also shared secrets and Harry trusted her more.

"Come with me, we can't talk about this here," Harry said, tilting his head to show the direction of a deserted hallway. "I am sorry, Anthony," he drew his wand "_Obliviate._" Harry had learned the spell after the incident involving Black and his mother - one could never know when it would come in hand.

Cassiopeia merely raised one eyebrow but said nothing.

"What were you talking about?" Rosier asked a little confused.

"About how Filch deserves to have the blasted cat petrified," Cassiopeia replied, "really, Anthony, sometimes you have your head on the clouds."

Harry smirked internally. Such a double, him and Cassiopeia.

.

By the middle of November, Harry's potion wasn't ready yet and he was frustrated, almost brewing the entire thing again.

After the chamber incident Snape cancelled their private classes, telling Harry that they would resume them when the whole ordeal was solved. Apparently, Dumbledore trusted Snape to find out the responsible for that. Potter wondered if the Potions professor was involved in the thing along with Lucius Malfoy.

Harry decided he would rebrew the potion, and went to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Only to find it occupied by Hermione Granger. Harry quickly put his invisibility cloak and silently walked to see what the hell she was doing there. She was stirring a potion in a cauldron. Harry wanted to snort. That was _his_ place! There was a book on he floor, opened on the page with the recipe of Polyjuice potion.

Harry left the bathroom silently. He had information against one third of the golden trio - at least. There was no way in hell that Granger could get access to some of the Polyjuice potion's ingredients unless she had stolen it from Snape. Harry smirked. He would let Granger brew her Polyjuice, for the time being, but if he it was needed, he had blackmail material.

There was a Hogsmeade trip on the day after. Sirius Black promptly had signed Harry's permission. The boy loved the village, it was beautiful, calm and had a lot of shops - not all interesting - and a good cafe.

One week later there was a Quidditch match, Slytherin aginst Gryffindor. That was when something really weird happened - a bludger began to to stake after Neville Longbottom and to only focus on him. Distracted, Longbottom didn't catch the snitch, and Slytherin won. While the Slytherins cheered for the victory, the bludger hit Longbottom's arm, breaking it. Lockhart - the worthless worm - tried to fix Neville's arm and failed, making the boy's arm boneless.

In that same night, a student, a Gryffindor first year, Colin Creevey, was found petrified.

.

Cassiopeia was curious. Why Harry's potion wasn't ready yet? She mused that his family had a really ancient origin, or that he messed up the incantation... Or that he had something to hide about that.

She had seen Harry looking at Granger with calculating eyes, well aware that her friend knew something about the Gryffindor girl...

Cassiopeia was worried. Not that she minded students being petrified - or even killed -, but she had a feeling that not everything that was happening at Hogwarts was related to the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry and Anthony signed up for the Duelling club, and she did it as well. Her aunt Narcissa was a powerful witch - though not of course as much as her mother - and had taught some techniques of duel.

In the opening of the Club Lockhart had been pathetic as always. His smile - with oh, so many teeth - gave her creeps and she couldn't understand what so many girls saw in that excuse of wizard.

Lestrange was sure that when Snape was called to 'duel' Lockhart all he wanted was to Avada Kedrava the DADA professor... The girl reckoned that killing Gilderoy that way was a waste of magic. Really.

It was hilarious when Snape hexed Lockhart, Cassiopeia's hand twitched on her wand, how she wished to hex him too!

She snorted when Draco was called to duel Longbottom.

"This will be interesting," Harry mused.

"So, Cass, do you prefer your dear cousin or the boy-who-lived to win?" Anthony asked mocking. She didn't bother to answer him.

And then it happened. Draco conjured a snake, Lockhart tried to banish it but instead set it loose on the students and then Neville Longbottom - _Longbottom!_ - was hissing to the snake. Everyone was silent, deadly silent. Fortunately Professor Snape was the first to recover from the shock and banished the snake.

Neville Longbottom, 'defeater' of Voldemort, Gryffindor golden boy, the boy-who-lived, was a parselmouth. Oh, the irony!

"Bloody hell!" Anthony swore.

"What happened, why is everyone staring at Longbottom like that?" Harry asked, oblivious.

"You don't know, Harry?" Cassiopeia questioned "The ability to talk to snakes - Parseltongue - is a Slytherin trait. The last parselmouth was the Dark Lord. People consider it a dark ability and the saviour of the wizarding world possesses it."

Harry frowned and tilted his head, his eyes shinning just like when he wasn't, at all, understanding something.

"What do you mean, Parseltongue?"

"Did you hear the hisses?"

"No," Harry said looking uncomfortable. "Neville was speaking English..."

Cassiopeia widened her eyes. She grabbed Harry's wrist and pulled him out of the room - nobody noticed them leaving, all too much shocked yet. Anthony was following them.

She walked, pulling Harry, until she found an empty classroom.

"_Serpensortia!_" the girl said immediately. A snake appeared and began to slither and hiss. It looked at Harry, who was still confused.

And then Harry's eyes widened as well, he looked back at the snake. And he hissed.

Cassiopeia heard Anthony taking a sharp breath.

"Well, well, well... It seems that we have not only one, but two parselmouths at Hogwarts." the girl said awed.

.

After the Duelling club episode Harry was worried and confused. Nobody could ever find out he was a parselmouth, or he would be blamed by the petrifications for sure. He was glad for now, letting Longbottom to be accused of being the Heir. Much easier. Much safer.

'You were with me when the petrifications happened, so I know it wasn't you.' It was what Lestrange told him once they had banished that snake.

"It explains why your heritage potion isn't ready yet. You have probably two sides of really ancient ancestries," Cassiopeia said "what would mean that your mother, probably, has some squib on her family, a squib descendent of Salazar Slytherin."

Harry only nodded. Now he needed that potion ready more than ever.

Harry had found a class in the third floor where he could practice spells. Cassiopeia and Anthony also agreed on training. Two days a week they would go there and train. One of these days the three were heading back to the dungeons when they met with Luna Lovegood.

"Harry Potter," the girl called with a sooth voice.

"Ms. Lovegood," he said nodding. She smiled brightly.

"You speak oddly," she said and Harry thought that she was odder than the way he talked... "You are worrying over obscure things and forgot that some help is needed."

Harry frowned. Rosier and Lestrange were silent.

"What are you talking about?"

"Something that you should think about it,"

"Why don't you just tell me whatever crazy thing you want to?" Harry asked. Why had the girl to talk like that?

"Because I don't know anything else. They just said me to tell you what I did."

"They who?"

The girl only smiled and walked away.

"Sweet Salazar's mother, that girl is creepy!" Anthony said.

"She is a bit... Odd," Cassiopeia agreed.

Harry, though, said nothing about the strange ways of Luna Lovegood. He was too worried about what the girl said. In the last days he was too concerned about the fact that he was a parselmouth and he had concluded that the student's strange behaviours were caused by the opening of the Chamber. But what if they weren't?

In the next days Harry began to think again about the students and then he thought about looking for something they had in common.

It looked too random - different years, different houses and blood status.

He talked with Tonks and she promised him to find some new information.

And she found it.

All of them had had detention with Lockhart.

Harry and Nymphadora decided that they were going to wait for the next student that were assigned for detention with Lockhart and follow them. Harry had Pucey to watch for the fifth years, Nott in the second, and they found another ones to watch the other years. Hell, Harry reached the point of asking Luna Lovegood to ask for help in Ravenclaw.

And, as for Gryffindor house, he knew exactly who would help him - willingly or not.

.

Hermione Granger was the smartest witch in second year, and she knew that she could beat even some third and fourth years as well. She knew that she was skilled and a true witch, even if some prejudiced people tried to tell her differently. To be honest, she wasn't all too happy withe her placement in Gryffindor - the hat wanted to put her in Ravenclaw and she foolishly refused. Gryffindors were nice people, but too impulsive.

Her little adventures with Neville and Ronald were fun and all, but not exactly what she would seek to do. Still, the said adventures also helped to develop her magic further, so it wasn't that bad. Like now, she was brewing Polyjuice - a NEWT level potion - to try to sneak in the Slytherin common room and find out who was the Heir of Slytherin.

Another thing that unnerved her was the prejudice Ronald and Neville exhibited against the snakes. Hermione wasn't a girl only interested in learn magic, oh no, she loved to learn. In he muggle world History was one of her passions. And one thing that she learnt early was that History is written by the winners. And she doubted that in he magical world it was different.

It was true that most Slytherins were just stupid prejudiced people who only looked at blood status. Hermione always wanted to say how Crabbe and Goyle - both pureblooded - were just two big pieces of meat, while she was a brilliant witch. But not all Slytherins were bad and not only Slytherins cared for blood purity too. Ronald and Neville seemed to have craved in their brains that being a snake was equal to being evil...

The last war had been won by he Light, and so they've written story.

Neville didn't know, but she was on the library last term when he had a conversation with Harry Potter. Though the Slytherin was a bit, shall we say, ruthless and cold, he was also intelligent and conscious. Hermione knew that his parents were Death Eaters and that he probably would be one too - if Voldemort really came back as she suspected due to Neville's scar hurting when the Sorcerer's Stone was stolen. But that didn't mean that Harry was already evil.

Hermione despised the very idea that she was inferior to someone, so in that point she couldn't agree with most dark families. However, one thing that she didn't quite understand - though she would never mention it to Ron or Neville - was laws against Dark Magic. Being honest with herself, Granger was curious to know more about that branch of magic.

She was in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom finishing the Polyjuice potion when she heard someone clearing the throat behind her. She turned to see Harry Potter standing there, looking smugly at her and with an attitude that just inspired peril.

"Hermione Granger," he greeted politely.

"Harry Potter."

"I see that you already know me. Good. I need your help, Granger."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. Why should she help the Slytherin? And why would a snake need he help of a mudblood? It wasn't because she didn't think ill of Slytherins that she would let herself be used by then.

"I don't see why a mudblood would help a Slytherin," she spat bitterly.

Harry sighed.

"You don't seem to be a mudblood, Granger," he said calmly and sat on the floor near her. "Did you know that my mother is a muggleborn too?"

"Yes, I know it." and that was something she didn't understand - how a muggleborn witch joined Voldemort.

"So, you see, as long as you don't act like a mudblood, you aren't one; but I am sure that your two dear friends don't care to explain the meaning of this word for you. A mudblood is not a muggleborn, Granger, a mudblood is someone who tries to force muggle ideas, customs, culture upon he wizarding world. I don't see you doing this..." he trailed off.

"What is the matter of mixing both cultures?"

Harry smiled - a smile that showed he wanted her to ask that question.

"I am sure you know the History of the colonization of America by the Spanish. That is what happens when someone tries to blend two people with different levels of power."

Hermione was lost in thought. Yes, certainly the native people from America suffered terribly with that, due to the European's power... Wait, was Potter insinuating that muggles were more powerful than wizards? And since when the boy knew muggle History? She must have shown the confusion in her face, because Harry replied her question.

"I do think that wizards are better than muggles, before you get the wrong idea. But you know muggles, don't you, _Hermione_? You know what their weapons can do. I reckon that you can recognize that if they ever found out about us... It wouldn't be pretty."

That was... Unexpected. Potter was... _Afraid _of muggles?

"We are not better than muggles, Potter," she said a bit angrily. Her beloved parents were muggles, and she didn't like anyone insulting them. "You don't even know a muggle to speak so full of yourself. Muggles would want us to share our magic and our capacity to create, heal and change things they can't with Science."

Potter grinned, and the Gryffindor found that infuriating.

"Just listen yourself talking... Things they can't do," he pointed out and she found herself at a loss. Her own words against her. "And by the way, I do know muggles. I lived with them until last year, but this should be discussed another time. I recall that I had a favour to ask."

She folded her arms on her chest and nodded for the boy to speak.

Then Harry explained her everything about the odd behaviour from students and the fact that all of them had had detentions with Lockhart. He mentioned that who first noticed it was the Hufflepuff prefect Nymphadora Tonks. She felt sick when Harry said that the students most probably had been obliviated several times.

"So, I want you to keep a watch on Gryffindor house. See if anyone gets detention with he blonde excuse of wizard and let I or Tonks know... Or Cassiopeia, she is a friend of mine, Slytherin third year, Cassiopeia Lestrange."

He left after that and Hermione drowned herself in thoughts. Not only about the great mystery within Hogwarts; but also about wizards and muggles.

.

Harry was glad that he hadn't need to blackmail Granger. He would save the information for later - for when he needed something more dangerous, perhaps.

And he had planted a seed of doubt - just like muggles used to say he Devil did in people's mind. A seed of doubt that would become a tree of greatness. It would be sweet to have his own trusted one inside the Gryffindor Golden Trio. Oh, in time he would have that.

That day was a good one for another reason: his potion was finally ready. He called Cassiopeia and Anthony to see the result. They met in one abandoned class in he dungeons.

The potion worked when poured over a piece of parchment. It would write the bloodlines magically - what meant that the potion itself would create more paper if needed.

It began to appear. Several names of families, all of them british. Families that neither him or his pureblood friends had ever heard of.

Some minutes later the name of Godric Gryffindor appeared. Cassiopeia made a joke about the houses, but he ignored it, too interested in seeing the rest.

Some other families appeared, all of them more ancient than Gryffindor.

It ended on the name of Ignotus Peverell.

And that was his ancestry by blood.

Curiously, the writing didn't stop, because he also had an ancestry acquired by magic.

Several names of families continued to appear, and Harry already knew what to expect. He smiled when the name of Salazar Slytherin was written on the parchment.

And that part ended in the name of Cadmus Peverell.

"Holy bloody hell!" Anthony whispered nearly choking.

"It's no wonder it took so much time..." Cassiopeia said. "You, my friend, are descendent of two of the three Peverell brothers. If I am not mistaken, there is an obscure tale about them and some objects..."

Harry would look for more about that. Not right then, though, because he received a Patronus - a spell he so needed to learn - from Tonks saying that Hermione Granger had something very important to tell them.

Since Anthony wasn't really interesting in their investigation, only Harry and Cassiopeia went to meet with Tonks and Granger.

They met the girls in the library. Both of them with grim expressions. Whatever it was that Granger found out, it wasn't good.

"So, what did you both had to tell?" Cassiopeia asked.

Hermione swallowed hard.

"Lockhart is abusing the students. This is what I believe he is doing. Sexually."

Silence fell and Harry took a deep breath, feeling sick.

Cassiopeia looked shocked beyond belief - Sophia was her friend after all.

Neither of the four said nothing, but they all had looks that promised justice... And four of those eyes also promised revenge.


	6. Snake Hearts

**Warning for this chapter: scenes of molestation of a minor. Nothing graphic, but I felt the need to put this warning. Though of course nothing graphic is going to happen, I think I wrote a very gruesome Lockhart on this chapter.**

**Just to make it clear: Neville did not have his detention with Lockhart, nor will he. I don't think Gilderoy would be crazy enough to try something against the BWL, since he knows that great part of the staff looks after the boy, INCLUDING Dumbledore. The circumstances why Longbottom was at the second floor when the petrification happened will be shown later (nothing too important, though.).**

**Replying to the reviews:**

**- Bella/Lily: I actually thought about it before, but several situations make this impossible (not only the fact that they are both married). Hermione/Nott: it can happen, since I haven't done plans for either of them, I think they would be interested together :). Anthony/Tonks: I don't know about these two... Anthony is/will be sometimes too imature, and Tonks is not; but who knows?**

**- Yep, Luna is going to be a medium - or something like that *grins***

**- And I think I can say that from this chapter on our dear Harry will begin to change :) **

**Chapter 6 - Snake Hearts**

"Are you sure about this, Granger?" Harry asked, a bit harsh, but he was on his right to do so. The girl was saying something serious, extremely serious; he was burning with anger at the idea of that being true.

"I can't prove anything," the Gryffindor said calmly, noticing the change in Harry's behaviour. "Yet." she added smugly.

Harry eyed her with fierceness.

"Start talking, Granger." he said briskly. In the corner of his eye he saw Nymphadora snort because of the tone he used.

Hermione took a deep breath and began, her voice a little shaky.

"I saw the way he was looking at Dean. It was very quick and subtle, but I noticed it. Nobody saw it, I think. Half the girls are just in love with the bastard and the boys just mock him. Look," she said and paused "he looks at Dean as though he is a... A piece of meat. It is sick!"

Harry chewed his lip.

"Did you notice anything, Cass?" he asked, looking at the Slytherin girl.

"No, never."

Harry sighed. They would need proof of that, but it would be difficult since Lockhart probably locked the door when doing whatever he did behind the doors of his office - and obliviated the students afterwards. Harry didn't think the professor was actually crazy to do anything that would leave physical evidence.

"We need to know if your suspicion is true, Granger. I'm amazed that you didn't just run off telling the whole school about this, you being a Gryffindor and all..."

"I may be a Gryffindor, Potter, but I am not stupid."

"So... How do we do it? How do we prove that Lockhart is sexually abusing the students?" Tonks asked suddenly.

"One of us will have to earn a detention with Lockhart," Harry said bluntly. Nymphadora visibly flinched at the suggestion. "He probably won't try anything with you, Tonks, you are a seventh year... Cassiopeia and I are able to cast shields if he tries to obliviate us. One of us will have to do this."

Granger was going to protest, but Harry stopped her, lifting his hand to silence her. Actually, he was the one that was going to do it, since he could occlude that everything was plotted, if Dumbledore was the one to look at his memories.

"On my next DADA class I will do something that grants me a detention with Lockhart. If he tries anything against me I will stun him. And then the Headmaster or Professor Snape can look at my memories."

But that was not the only reason why he would be the one to do this. He had something else planned for the bastard professor.

"And what if he doesn't?" Granger asked.

Harry thought for some seconds. Hermione had Polyjuice... They would just need to stun Sophia when she had any detention and meet Lockhart disguised.

"We will try again," Harry said casually.

They talked some more, setting the details of their plan and discussing alternative ways of dealing with the problem should anything go wrong. Tonks was the first to leave. The first thing the Hufflepuff would do was try to subtlety warn the students to _behave_ in Lockhart's classes, avoiding detentions.

Hermione stayed a bit longer and that was when Harry confronted her.

"Look, Granger, I know that you are brewing Polyjuice," he said as soon as Tonks left.

"How?" when he had met her at Moaning Myrtle's bathroom she didn't have anything that suggested it was Polyjuice, since the potions was almost finished and she didn't need the recipe any more.

"I just do, all right? Now, I don't care what you plan to do with it, but I want some of it in case we need. Lockhart may not try anything against another student," Harry stated "do you remember that in the beginning several students were odd?" she nodded "Well, now it is only three. Thomas, Sophia and the Weasley girl..." Harry stopped his speech suddenly. "Ginny Weasley did not have any detention with Lockhart! How could I have overlooked this?"

Harry sat on the floor, deep in thought. Ginny Weasley never acted like the others, actually, except for some memory lapses... And why was she so attached to a book? Whatever it was, the girl was suffering from another condition.

"Anyway..." he continued, snapping out of his train of thought "We might need the Polyjuice to go in a detention disguised as Sophia Shaqif. Meanwhile, we will try my first plan and try to keep her away from detentions."

Hermione bit her lip. She had brewed the necessary for the trio to sneak in the Slytherin common room.

"All right," she said slowly, "but I will give you only enough to one person and for one hour."

Harry nodded, if everything went right they wouldn't need more than fifteen minutes.

.

In the second week of December Harry had finally won his detention with Lockhart. It had been a week since the perfect opportunity came up - because Harry knew that the DADA professor wasn't as idiot as he tried to appear, and would notice if Harry clearly did something on purpose of winning a detention.

During the two weeks since the discovery - or the suspect - Cassiopeia had managed to talk with Sophia and warn the girl to act perfectly in Defence classes. It worked. However, Hermione didn't have the same luck with Dean Thomas.

Harry was still trying to decipher Ginny Weasley. His best guess was that Lucius Malfoy had put a spell or something on the girl that day in Flourish and Blotts. But with what goal? Open the Chamber of Secrets?

He had talked with Professor Binns, who told him that only a parselmouth could open the Chamber. And Harry wasn't inclined to believe that Ginny Weasley was one. Since he knew that he hadn't opened it, the only conclusion was that Neville Longbottom did it. Which was ridiculous.

Harry had been in a foul mood on those two weeks. Having to deal with Lockhart, withe mystery around the Chamber of Secrets and, in top of all, with secrets about himself. Anthony and Septimus had been away from him, since he had snapped at them several times for no reason. Cassiopeia, though, was always there, but mostly silent and observing. She knew more than anyone why he was so edgy.

In the last two weeks he was looking more like a Ravenclaw than a Slytherin and if he was honest with himself, he knew that the plan regarding Lockhart was a bit Gryffindorish, as Cassiopeia had pointed out. The girl suggested that they took the matter to Professor Snape, or even Dumbledore himself. But no, Harry refused that.

Of course he trusted both his head of house and the headmaster to deal properly with the DADA teacher, however, Harry _was_ a Slytherin, and he would take the most out of that.

Yes, he was worried about the students, and had tried his best to protect them the way he could. But he also needed something for himself. Being the son of two Death Eaters could tarnish one's reputation - and he still didn't quite understand why Tonks and Granger accepted him - as he had noticed since McGonagall's visit at the orphanage. But he would improve his image in the wizarding world.

And what better way to do so than being a poor boy assaulted by a teacher who helped to unveil a web of abuse?

He and Cassiopeia would be pictured in a good light, the students would be safe again. Everybody would win.

Except Lockhart.

Harry stared at the liquid inside the vial on his hands. It had no taste or colour. The smell was very subtle, probably only a Potions master would notice it. He had began to brew that two weeks ago - in the following day of the conversation with Cass, Granger and Tonks. It took three days to be ready, and it was deadly.

The _Mortem Pro Iustitia_ draught was something he had seen in a book at Grimmauld Place. He obviously did not have the ingredients to brew it, but he had owled Kreacher - _Kreacher!_ - requesting the elf to buy them. The potion was classified as dark, and it indeed was.

Back in the Middle Age, some crimes in the Wizarding World were punished with _Mortem Pro Iustitia_. A person who had committed a crime against another would drink it and the potion would only make justice, giving he suffering needed before death. If, however, no crime was committed, the person wouldn't suffer from its effects.

The potion was derived from the _Flagelo_ draught, a common torture concotion. However, two more ingredients were added to the same recipe: the blood of a child, which would purify the potion, giving it he sense of justice. And the hair of the person that suffered from the crime.

Now he only needed the hair of Sophia Shaqif and Dean Thomas.

The hair from the girl would be easily taken by Cassiopeia, and Harry only hoped that she did so without questions. And as for Dean Thomas, he knew who would do the work for him.

Harry supposed that thirteen year olds shouldn't just go ahead killing people. That brought a whole half philosophical debate with himself.

Killing someone was a huge step - step for what, exactly? He couldn't answer that.

Did he like the Dark Arts? Yes. Was manipulating people something that made him feel good? Terribly. Would he put other people's welfare aside if that meant that his life would be better? Probably. So why would he hesitate in killing Lockhart, especially if the man was a pedophile?

And then Harry realized. Nothing.

As much as he thought more about that Potter came to the conclusion that he hadn't chosen that particular potion because it would make justice. Oh no, he had chosen that because it would make Gilderoy Lockhart die a horrible death, full of pain and suffering.

And Harry realized that he would even want to see that, if he could.

That made him shiver.

It's not that he actually cared about being a nice, honourable person. Harry knew that he was too far gone to be that.

Nice people do not break the arms in revenge. Nice people don't a whole orphanage under nightmares. And certainly honourable people do not manipulate a second year student into a future loyal spy.

Wait. Where had that come from? Loyal? Spy? What was he planning, a war? He really didn't know what he would do in the future, and neither why he wanted to gain influence. In normal circumstances he would never be around Tonks or Granger trying to look like a good boy that wanted to help them. He would just tell Snape or Dumbledore and be done with it.

Harry knew that if he had really made the effort half of Slytherin house would be grovelling at his feet. He supposed that not doing that was actually a nice act of his part.

His life was a bit messed up. But then he returned to his previous matter - the death of Gilderoy Lockhart and how it would change him.

He didn't really know how much, if at all, that would change him... But one thing he knew for sure: if the professor was indeed what Granger first proposed, he deserved to die. And Harry felt quite safe that he was fit to seal another human being's fate.

.

"Please, be careful!" Cassiopeia said, a bit anguished.

"Nothing will happen," Harry assured her for the tenth time. Tonks was also there, but Granger wasn't.

"Good luck, Potter." Tonks said. Her hair was deep blue that night.

Harry nodded, thanking the girl, and took his way to the DADA classroom.

"Good night, sir," he said politely when he entered the class. The professor was sitting behind his desk.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter. Please, take a seat," Lockhart told him, indicating one of the desks. "It was very inappropriate that you hexed that Gryffindor boy behind his back, I am sure you realize this now?"

Harry swallowed. Lockhart wasn't like this in class, where he always spoke like an idiot. Oh no, this Lockhart spoke firmly, without any hint of the joke he was outside that doors.

So, it was true.

"You know, sir, Gryffindor and Slytherin often have this kind of problem. House rivalry is... Difficult."

"Yes, I am aware of these problems. I myself was a Hufflepuff when I was in Hogwarts and therefore I never got in this kind of... Stunts," he said smiling, exposing all his teeth "much on contrary, I've always got along _very well_ with everyone."

There was a knot on Harry's throat and he suddenly felt a bit unsafe on that classroom with his teacher. But he was decided, he would get a proof that Lockhart was a pervert and make him drink a deadly potion. And then, only then he would get the hell out of there as soon as possible.

Lockhart stood up, walked to be behind Harry and began to pace back and forth.

"You know, Mr. Potter, you are a very... Talented boy. It is most unfortunate that you have to pass your night on detention... Or perhaps not," and then he put each one of his hands on Harry's shoulders, squeezing them slightly.

"May I drink something, sir? I had to run all my way here because I was late, I'm really thirsty," Harry asked, now certain that he would do the right thing, justice.

"So you were eager to come here, hm?"

Harry wanted to vomit. Gilderoy was sick not only on his acts, but also on his words.

Cassiopeia would be very, very angry with him if she knew that Harry was playing with Lockhart, pretending to fall on his 'charms' and sweet words. She would be very angry - and within reason - if she knew what he would say...

"Always eager, sir," he said in a sweet, childish voice that he was sure Lockhart would like.

Lockhart called a house elf and asked her two glasses of pumpkin juice, he placed one in front of Harry, took one for himself and sat again.

The Slytherin took a sip of the juice and put the glass down, looking at the professor with bright, big green eyes. He was really, really grateful to know Occlumency, otherwise fake like that would have been very, very difficult.

Lockhart was looking as though he had earned the best gift in his life, and Harry could only imagine what he did when the children didn't seem _willing_ to participate.

"And why were you eager, Mr. Potter?" the teacher asked.

Harry looked down, seeming a bit shy, uncertain and then he eyed the professor from below, his eyelashes covering part of his eyes.

"I think you are a really good teacher, sir." Occlumency be blessed one more time for that!

"Oh, you do? So why don't you come here, I want to teach you a spell," he said, waving his hand towards himself. Harry hesitantly got up and walked towards the back of the desk, his breath was a bit shallow.

"What spell, sir?"

"Come here," Lockhart said pointing at his lap.

"Sir?" Harry wanted nothing more than hex, curse and kill Gilderoy Lockhart. Never in his life he had felt so much hate. Not in the orphanage, not when he learned that Sirius Black abandoned him. Never.

"Come here, _Harry..._"

Potter wasn't sure how innocent were other thirteen year boys; growing up in an orphanage where him and the other boys didn't receive much attention made him learn a lot things earlier. He would have to obliviate Lockhart anyway, so he could bloody well play with the man and put him in a worse situation than he already was.

So Harry approached and sat on the teacher's lap, making the man exhale sharply.

"You know, Harry, the girls here in Hogwarts think I have a certain... Charm. I must confess that I enjoy their attention, and from some boys too," he took a sip of his juice and one of his hand ghosted over Harry's hair. "I've seen you in class, dear, and you are so very beautiful. This pale skin of yours, your silky, shining black hair, these pink lips and, oh your eyes... So green, so big..."

Then Lockhart leaned and kissed Harry's neck. The boy used his mental shields to at the same time make himself cry and not push the professor. Instead, he leaned into Gilderoy's touch. He needed two different memories...

Lockhart was too lost on his sick act and didn't notice Harry pouring the contents of a vial on his glass. He kissed Harry's neck again.

Now Harry began to openly cry, silently, but crying nonetheless.

"Sir, what are you doing?" he asked and sobbed softly.

"You know what I am doing, Harry," he replied and caressed Harry's cheek.

"I-I don't, sir..."

Harry needed a way to make the professor drink the juice, or all of that disgusting act would be wasted.

"I-I am thirsty, sir, I-I..."

"Very well, since you have been such a good boy I shall reward you," Lockhart said and took his own glass, offering it for Harry, who drunk it, knowing that the potion wouldn't cause him any harm, since he never hurt Sophia or Thomas.

Harry was on his edge. Snape never told him that it was so hard to fake emotions like that for so long. He was sure that five more minutes there he would be able to cast something really deadly on the professor, and the idea of Azkaban really didn't amuse him, not in the least.

He took a sip of the juice and smiled at the man. And then he had an idea. A disgusting one, but one he was sure would work.

Harry put he glass on Lockhart's mouth and touched the man's neck with his still small hands, forcing himself to think that he was touching anybody else. He poured the juice on the professor's mouth, who swallowed it, and Harry was relieved, he could stop that.

Flicking his right wrist, his wand was on Harry's hand.

"You are a sick, perverted bastard," he said while he got out of the man's lap. "But you will die as you deserve to. I hope they toss you in Azkaban instead of giving you the kiss, because your death will be so, so painful, and so sweet for me and for Sophia Shaqif, and Dean Thomas," Lockhart was frozen for a second or two, and then he was going to draw his wand "_Expelliarmus!" _Harry almost shouted. "And all of the other children you abused. You obliviated them, right? But I am sure you kept your own memories of what happened to relive your sick acts. Now, you are going to taste something like what you did. _Obliviate!_"

Harry altered Lockhart's memory to show only himself crying when Lockhart kissed his neck. Then he stunned the teacher and ran away from that class.

.

Cassiopeia watched as Harry got out of the DADA class. Harry looked deeply troubled. He was pale, and seemed a bit... Away. Something had gone wrong. Tonks was beside her, fidgeting impatiently.

Harry reached both of them panting heavily. And then he began to retch.

"Harry!" she shouted.

Her friend was very, very out of himself. He retched again. Tonks cast a scourgify.

"Oh God," Harry cried "I can't believe in what I did. Oh God."

"Please go and get Professor Snape," Cassiopeia asked Tonks with pleading eyes. The Hufflepuff promptly walked away, going down the dungeons.

"Harry, please tell me what happened!"

"It was so hard... Oh Merlin. It can't be healthy to do something like that!"

"WHAT DID YOU DO, HARRY?" Lestrange shouted and slapped Harry - not too hard - because he was very incoherent.

And then Harry began to cry. That didn't bode well, not at all. Whatever happened with Lockhart wasn't good. At least Harry hadn't been obliviated.

"Harry, you need to tell me what happened," the girl softened her voice and pulled Harry into a hug, softly caressing his hair.

"I-I... Cassiopeia, it was so hard to pretend, to fake emotions. How can someone do that?"

The girl frowned. What the hell was Harry talking about?

She just stayed there, embracing her friend and trying to comfort him until Tonks was there, with Professor Snape following her.

"What happened, Miss Lestrange?" Snape asked with his cold and distant voice. Cassiopeia felt that Harry calmed a bit in that moment.

"I was waiting Harry to get out of his detention, and then I met Tonks. I decided to talk with her since Harry hadn't come yet. When he came he was like this, sir," she replied, praying that Tonks hadn't accidentally told Snape what they planned.

"I see," he then reached his pockets and pulled out a vial. Calming draught, Lestrange guessed.

"Here, Mr. Potter, drink it."

Harry took the potion and drank it in one only gulp. A minute later the effects appeared, and Harry was breathing calmly again and seeming more like himself.

"Now, Potter, tell me what happened."

"Lockhart... He... He tried to... He kissed me." Harry blurted out. Cassiopeia and Tonks gasped - Harry wasn't supposed to let things go that far. "I managed to stun him and run away. He... He said I was beautiful and then he... Touched me."

Snape looked haunted - and angry. He quickly conjured a _Patronus_ and sent it for Dumbledore. Cassiopeia was still hugging Harry. She didn't know if that was an act... But could Harry fake all of that so masterfully - the vomit, the crying?

"Potter, we are going to see the Headmaster and you are going to tell us exactly what happened," Snape said and Harry only nodded, looking calmer but uncomfortable all the same. "Come, Potter," the professor said and began to walk, waiting for the teen to follow him.

The three students followed him.

"I only need Potter now, you may go to your dorms, it is nearly curfew," Snape said to both girls, who very reluctantly turned away and went to their dorms. Cassiopeia shot Harry a look before.

.

Harry had told Dumbledore his version of the facts. That he was in detention and then Lockhart offered to teach him a spell - what ended with the professor assaulting him.

"We must now collect memories to present as evidence. Severus, please extract Mr. Potter memories, while I will extract Gilderoy's," Snape seemed wanting to protest "We both know what will happen if you see your students being abused in his mind, don't we, Severus?"

Snape glared at Dumbledore, but nodded agreeing anyway. He got up, briskly told Harry to follow him and walked with hard steps towards the dungeons. Middle way, Harry realized that something was wrong, very wrong.

"Enter," Snape said when they reached his office.

As soon as the door was closed the teacher waved his wand, locking the door and putting powerful silencing charms on it. He turned to Harry, looking very furious and, without any warning, muttered a _Legilimens._

And Harry knew he was doomed. Snape wasn't being gentle, oh no, he was literally dragging the truth out of his student's mind. The boy lamented that he would have a bad headache after that, probably.

And Snape saw their plans, Harry brewing the _Mortem Pro Iustitia_, writing to Kreacher, blackmailing Draco Malfoy to get his hands on a hair of Dean Thomas. He, playing along with Lockhart's sickness to have a better proof.

When Snape exited his mind he looked furious. Completely furious.

"Do you have any idea of what you've done?" he snarled "Do you know the danger you put yourself in? What are you? A impulsive, arrogant Gryffindor? You and your three little friends should have gone to a professor with your suspicions!"

Harry was silent. He knew that Snape had some reason to be... Well, mad.

"And do you have any idea of the damage you might have caused to yourself using Occlumency to disguise your emotions like that?" when Harry didn't reply Snape billowed. "ANSWER!"

Harry gulped and looked at his hands.

"No, sir." he said in a small voice.

"I thought so. Now, I will extract the memory that is convenient for us to show."

Snape performed the process to extract Harry's memory.

And Harry was worried, very worried that Snape would denounce him about the potion.

"I will not denounce you, Potter. I might be angry because of your foolish plan and actions, but I do not think that the sick bastard should be left alive."

"Thank you, sir."

"But your mother will be hearing about this, Mr. Potter, of that you can be sure. You may go now."

Harry turned to leave, just when he was closing the door he heard Snape saying 'and two weeks of detention, Potter.', and he could swear that the man chuckled - chuckled!

In the next morning Hufflepuff would have a hundred points less.

.

When Harry entered the Slytherin common room he somehow knew that Cassiopeia was there - using his invisibility cloak.

"Harry?" she called, taking off the cloak and coming into view.

"Hi, Cass."

"Was that an act?" she asked, looking worried.

Had that been? He wasn't very certain. Harry knew that he wanted Cassiopeia and Tonks to have genuine reaction for the way he was acting, but, all in all, he was very disturbed too.

Now that he thought more about that, Snape's words made much, much sense. He used Occlumency to conceal his true emotions, and to fake ones, for a long time. It wasn't that he was confused about what he really felt - disgust, utter disgust for Lockhart. It were his own shield that were in conflict.

Probably Snape was someone who also did that, being a spy, having to pretend regret, remorse, guilt. Having to fake to like Dumbledore, agree with his ideals. And look how Snape was - not a very nice person. Or perhaps that was an act too... Harry honestly was very confused. He wasn't nothing near a master occlumens, and doing that had left him a bit scarred.

Snape had promised to tell his mother what happened. He didn't know how Lily would react to that, but he hoped that she would understand. Besides, if he had been a bit Gryffindor, his mother would only be inclined to do the same, right?

Incredible that the use of fake emotions was troubling him way more than the fact that he'd just killed - well, not yet, but soon - a person.

"—ry? Harry?" he shook his head, clearing his thoughts and saw Cassiopeia staring at him.

"It wasn't all an act, Cass. I did something bad, I..." he sighed and pinched he bridge of his nose "I had to play along with Lockhart in order to have one memory that incriminated him and to..."

"To?"

"Kill him. A made him drink a potion that will kill him in a month, in a horrible, painful way."

Lestrange fell silent, probably thinking about what she had just heard.

"Well done, my snake," she said and smiled like a shark.

Five minutes later Harry received a tongue-leashing from the girl, though, for putting himself in so much danger.

.

All over Britain, and in some other countries too several wizards and witches felt a burning on their left forearm. It wasn't a summon - not for all of them - but it was an warning. Lord Voldemort was rising again.

Inside Azkaban the aurors that guarded the cells heard several screams, but not screams of pain or discomfort. They were screams of joy, and of promises.

One particular woman laughed and screamed 'I told you!'

One particular man tried several times to ascertain that it wasn't a dream. That soon he would be free again. Well, in a way, at least.

In the maddened minds that occupied those cells promises of freedom, power, domination, longing began to be expected again. Too bad that only a few of them would actually witness those promises coming true.

There were two summons on that night.

Lucius Malfoy apparated on the place the Dark Mark led him. He was promptly received with a Crucio. Some minutes after the end of the torture he looked around and saw his master - now looking no older than forty - and anothet Death Eater, also cloaked and masked. His lord looked a bit unstable - even more than before - if that feral gleam on his crimson eyes was anything to go by.

"Lucius, rise," ordered the voice of the Dark Lord. "You know that I am not pleased with you, Lucius. She told me a very interesting thing about your... Lack of resposibility."

"My Lord, I—"

"Silence!" Voldemort hissed. "This meeting was organized just to let you know that I expect better from you, Lucius. There will be other soon, in which more of your fellows will be present and you will be properly punished. Now, tell me about the Ministry..."

When Lucius apparated back his Malfoy Manor he was terrified of what would happen when the Dark Lord learned that the diary he had confided him was no inside Hogwarts.

He wasn't looking forward to the next summons.


	7. A Question of Appearance

**Chapter 7 - A Question of Appearance**

Cassiopeia went to her dorm thinking about what Harry asked her. His idea was good. A wicked one. She was mad at Harry because of what he'd done, but proud of her friend because he put Lockhart in a terrible, terrible situation. He was probably better at Occlumency than Snape was letting on - nothing surprising there, the man hardly praised anyone, not even his Slytherins. Harry had not only proved what Lockhart was doing, but also fed him a killing potion. Cassiopeia had to admit: she hadn't seen that coming.

The girl smiled to herself and took a parchment and quill and began to write the two letters she needed.

_Dear Uncle Lucius_

_By the morning you are probably going to be hearing about something terrible that happened at Hogwarts. No, it is not about the Chamber._

_Harry got a detention with professor Lockhart. I was waiting for him near the DADA class. When he got out of there he was in a disturbing condition. He was crying, panting and he even got sick. I have never seen him like that, as Harry is always very controlled._

_I was in the occasion accompanied by Nymphadora Tonks (please I do know what her mother and father are, I don't need a lecture about this). I told her to go and get Professor Snape. When he arrived and asked Harry what had happened, Harry told him that Lockhart __kissed__ and __touched__ him. _

_He was taken to talk with the headmaster, and I trust that both him and Professor Snape will deal with this appropriately. However, I do know that you are acquainted with Ms. Rita Skeeter. I sent her a letter too, detailing what happened. I believe that we all will gain a lot with this._

_Cassioepeia_

She put the first letter down and began to write to Rita Skeeter.

_Dear Ms. Rita Skeeter_

_Who writes you this missive is Cassiopeia Bellatrix Lestrange, third year student at Hogwarts and member of the Slytherin House. I implore you to publish this on the next edition of the Daily Prophet._

_Dear citizens of the wizarding world. I know that most of you are not very fond of my person, me being the daughter of two known Death Eaters and a member of the Slytherin House. But I ask you to read this until the end._

_In the last months we all at Hogwarts are living under the shadow of rumors that the Chamber of Secrets was opened and worried about petrifications and such. I fear for my own security and my friends' as well. _

_This last night something terrible happened, but I will first tell you a little about a friend of mine, Harry James Potter._

_You might not like him, for the same reasons you don't like me. This is not exactly important right now. Suffice it to say that he is a very good friend and that his life wasn't perfect before he came to Hogwarts Because his godfather, Sirius Black, refused to take Harry, he lived in a muggle orphanage until the last year, where he was systematically bullied because of his episodes of accidental magic. _

_Given this, it is most natural that he feels safer at Hogwarts. That was, until this year, when two things happened: first the Chamber of Secrets, and now Gilderoy Lockhart._

_You must know that he is the Defence Against the Dark Arts' teacher, and a writer as well. My uncle, Lucius Malfoy, is in the Board of Governors and protested the decision of hiring Gilderoy Lockhart. I wish they'd heard him._

_Yesterday my friend Harry had a detention with Lockhart, and I as waiting for him near the DADA classroom, talking with my cousin Nymphadora Tonks, a Hufflepuff seventh year. She is also acquainted with Harry, as her mother, Andromedra Tonks (neé Black), is cousin of his godfather._

_When Harry came to us after his detention, he was utterly disturbed, and he normally is not like that, but a very controlled and cool boy. I asked Nymphadora to go and get Professor Severus Snape, head of Slytherin House and Potions Professor. When said teacher questioned Harry about what has happened, my friend told us, with a shaky voice, that Lockhart's behaviour had been inadequate on that evening._

_You all know what I mean. You, general population of the wizarding world, may not even care about Harry; he is, after all, just another Slytherin waiting to become a dark wizard as you would say. But I ask you a question: do you really believe that a thirteen year old boy should be judged by his parents' mistakes and by the house he's in?_

_If us, Slytherins, were as bad as you say, wouldn't Gilderoy Lockhart had already been cursed? But no, we believe in justice as much as any other wizard or witch does, we are not seeking revenge._

_I am glad that my friend could stun Gilderoy Lockhart and flee from his clutches, but this episode makes me wonder if any other fellow student suffered in the hands of this sick man._

_I have a home to go to, but I must confess that Hogwarts is just like a second home for me, and I am sure that many other students feel the same. And there are the ones, like Harry, who consider this school the first safe and comforting place they had ever been in. And this safe place, this sanctuary, is now threatened by the shadow of a sick, twisted man and, let's not forget, the ancient terror of the Chamber of Secrets._

_This letter is a protest. I want to learn Magic and I want to be in a safe place._

_You may not care for the safety of Slytherins, but I am sure you do care about your children. And do remember that every snake in this house has parents that love them very much as any Hufflepuff, Gryffindor or Ravenclaw does._

_Thank you for the attention._

_Cassiopeia Bellatrix Lestrange_

The Slytherin girl reread the letter and was pleased with her words. Harry had told her to subtlety talk about the menace of the muggles, even using him as an example. He also asked her that the letter made it clear that they weren't intolerant - hence the mentioning of Nymphadora. She should show that Slytherins are not evil Death Eaters in training cursing whoever they want to. And, finally, she should make an appeal to the love for Hogwarts that most of Britain shared, but not openly criticizing the headmaster.

Hopefully the letter would have the wanted effect. Harry's image would look a bit better - everybody loves poor little children that are traumatized. But in that letter there were little bits of words that were aligned with their ideals. Nothing great, but Cassiopeia would write another ones when the next cases of sexual abuse were exposed. Lucius and Professor Snape would, undoubtedly, make sure that every one of Lockhart's crimes were shown to the world.

She also obliviated Sophia, making her friend forget that Cassiopeia had warned her about avoiding trouble with Lockhart. The girl would never forgive her if she learned that Lestrange knew about what was happening without telling her.

She gave Lyra - her owl - the letters and drifted into an anxious sleep. She couldn't wait to see the next edition of the Daily Prophet.

.

By the morning Dumbledore made an announcement when the students were reunited in the Great Hall, waiting for breakfast. He said that all Defence classes were cancelled for the rest of the week. He had a haggard appearance, and clearly hadn't slept a bit. Harry smirked, the headmaster certainly would be worse when the Prophet came.

Five minutes later the owls flooded the great hall bringing the newest edition of the Daily Prophet. The first ones to open it were the Ravenclaws. Too soon, they were all staring at Harry. He turned all his attention to his plate and with the corner of the eyes he saw Cassiopeia hiding a smirk as well.

The Slytherins began to whisper. A bit louder, the Gryffindors began to talk too. Some students were giving him looks of pity. The snakes - the older ones, at least - looked at him with pride. They understood what he'd done.

"Harry, why didn't you tell us that this happened?" Anthony asked a looking a bit hurt.

"I didn't want to wake you up in the middle of the night."

Anthony snorted and turned to talk with Septimus. Harry sighed. He didn't feel comfortable to share plans and everything with Anthony - or Septimus. With Cassiopeia things were just... Natural. And she was smarter to know when something was wrong and get the answers she wanted. As much as his friendship with the girl was easy, his relationships in general were not the best. His past as a loner at the orphanage made him a boy that not always knew how to deal with friends, what to expect or how to react.

He glanced over the head table. McGonagall was looking extremely appalled. Snape nodded slightly when Harry looked at him. Dumbledore seemed... Displeased. No doubts that both he and Cassiopeia would be summoned at the headmaster's office later - and maybe Tonks too.

"Tell me, Potter, what else did you do to Lockhart besides stunning the bastard?" Adrian Pucey asked, coming and seating beside Harry.

"Nothing more, Pucey, nothing more. Why would you think that I did something else?"

"Because I can still remember what you did to me only because I... Disrespected you and your family," the fifth year said in a shushed tone.

Harry chuckled darkly.

"If you remember that, I am sure that you could always... Guess what I did. I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."

"And you, little Lestrange... You are brilliant, very much so," Adrian said looking at Cassiopeia.

"I'm aware of that," the girl smugly spoke.

"So, do any of you know if there are more students abused by Lockhart?"

"Yes, there are. Soon enough you will heard about them, I am sure," Harry said and looked at the headmaster. Adrian followed Harry's gaze, understanding that the old wizard would soon have to deal with a bigger trouble.

"Good bye Potter, Lestrange. I'm expecting for more letters." and then Pucey walked to seat with the fifth and sixth years. Harry could see he talking with the older Slytherins, soon they would all know the extent of what happened at Hogwarts.

"Very well," Cass said standing up "Let's go to the Potions' class. Something tells me that Snape will be in a worse mood today, Gryffindor will suffer."

"I will suffer with the two weeks of detention!" Harry protested. "And you've seen that Hufflepuff lost a hundred points... No doubts Gryffindor will too, he is just waiting to do this in class. And something just makes me feel that I won't be alone in detention."

The girl snorted and Harry laughed. Really, Cassiopeia thought that Snape wouldn't punish her too?

.

Gilderoy Lockhart was in a cell in the Ministry of Magic. Dumbledore had given the aurors a copy of the teacher's memories. He had abused several students, only differing on the extent. Sophia Shaqif, a third year Slytherin and Dean Thomas, a second year Gryffindor, were the worst cases, though. Thomas was a muggleborn and his parents wouldn't cause too much trouble. However, the Shaqifs were an old pureblood family, very wealthy and influential. Albus knew that they were - had been - very close to Voldemort, but not marked.

And, to make things even worse... Cassiopeia Lestrange had sent that letter to the Daily Prophet. Dumbledore rubbed his temples. That letter was definitely written by a Slytherin - he wouldn't be surprised if it was Lucius Malfoy himself who wrote the blasted thing.

It wasn't anything explicit or accusatory, but it was there - the accusation that he, Dumbledore, was guilty in the whole ordeal. He might be responsible, yes, being the headmaster implied that; but never guilty.

No doubts the Lestrange girl would write again. She was Shaqif's friend, and knew several other students from the 'black list'.

It seemed that a curse had fallen upon his life. First Voldemort - most probably - stole the Sorcerer's Stone; then the Chamber of Secrets was opened and, to make the tragedy even greater, Gilderoy Lockhart abused his students.

Minerva was beyond herself, telling him that the Slytherin girl should be punished... But what would they accuse her of? She had only told the truth, despite her - their, because Albus was sure that she and Potter were together in that - intentions with that. The headmaster found it odd that Minerva was angrier at the Slytherin girl than worried about the abused students. Perhaps her rivalry with Slytherin had gone too far.

Lucius Malfoy had promised to come and visit the school, to make things even worse.

Albus owled Sirius Black, asking him to take the DADA classes. He had been a decent teacher, after all, and left only because of his own problems with Harry Potter. The second year in a row in which the Defence teacher would 'abandon' his duties in the middle of the year.

At lunch he received several howlers and some other not-so-kind letters. Albus sighed tiredly. He had always meant good for the school... Well, no one actually knew about the Stone incident and he fact that he had attracted a dangerous wizard into the school. Still, he meant only good with that, even with the risks.

Many people wouldn't understand the things he did. Some would say that he was even... Cruel. But none of them actually _were_ Albus Dumbledore and had to make difficult decisions and live with their consequences later.

He regretted horribly having hired Gilderoy. Albus knew that the writer was, like Severus would say, an excuse of wizard. But no one else had applied to the job; well, Severus had, but he didn't really trust the Potions professor to give him that job permanently. Snape might have regretted some things he did on his youth, but he had since his first years at Hogwarts had a profound interest in the Dark Arts. He could... Fall in the temptation of teaching one little grey hex here, a mild dark one later... And then, only Merlin knew what would happen.

Dumbledore scanned the parchment where the names of all the students Gilderoy abused were written. Honestly, while he legilimized the DADA teacher Albus had wanted to hex him. It wasn't supposed to happen. Never, much less in a school. Children were there to learn and to be safe - as Ms. Lestrange had pointed out.

Albus began to write the letters for the parents of those children requesting their presence at Hogwarts... The children that had magical parents, at least.

.

A week passed and no more Slytherin letters were published in the Prophet. It was because the aurors never revealed the names of other victims, and Cassiopeia and Harry couldn't bloody well tell that they knew the names of the other students, not only because of the punishment but also for sparing the students the exposition.

However, that one letter that was published provoked quite the fuss. Cassiopeia received some letters complimenting her, and Harry received some too. Lucius wrote to his niece to inform her that the mention that he had been against Lockhart's hiring did put him in the good graces of some of the abused children. Narcissa suggested that he should visit some of the muggleborn's parents to show the worry of the Ministry over the matter. Fudge was very pleased with that. Cass laughed when she read them. Fudge was a bit slow if he really thought that Lucius was worried about that students.

Not that Lucius Malfoy wasn't mad for what Gilderoy did, but to say that he was worried about that was a huge overstatement. As long as Gilderoy didn't touch Draco or Cassiopeia Lucius would not really mind...

Cassiopeia could see a new war coming, it wasn't near yet. She honestly hoped that things would go... Smoother this time. She despised muggles, disliked the majority of muggleborn and Light pureblood wizards and some half-bloods... But a bloody war would be a bit exaggerated. They didn't need to actually kill all the muggles and muggleborns. All they needed was to separate both worlds and obliviate muggleborns that preferred the non-magical world and their relatives. But, of course, it wouldn't be her to decide that... So she would prepare herself for the war to defend what she believed, and be beside her family.

Both Harry and Cassiopeia were anxious. Voldemort would soon free her parents and his father. And hell would break loose... Probably.

Until Christmas breaks they would not have more DADA classes, and both were using their time to study the Dark Arts. Some ignorant people used to think that Dark Magic only involved hexes, curses, jinxes and some part of Transfiguration. A very childish notion. There was a branch of Dark Charms, most of them had been used as 'accessories' in torture. Potions had also a very large dark side. Harry himself had used a Dark Potion on Lockhart. Occlumency and Legilimency were already considered grey at best, but there were very dark parts of both of them, especially the latter... I

But they were studying curses... Though Harry was becoming a bit obsessed with Occlumency and Legilimency. He had been trying to convince Cassiopeia to allow him to legilimize her. No bloody way... However, his new obsession was good, freeing him from his previous fascination with Potions and Transfiguration that led him to advance in both subjects up to sixth year level. She was pretty sure that McGonagall would be very impressed is she saw what Harry could do, but he usually kept his skills hidden.

"_Afino sangue,_" Harry muttered, pointing his wand at the one of the little rats he had ordered Kreacher to buy. Cassiopeia mused if Sirius Black knew the little errands his elf did for Harry. He surely would be displeased - and horrified.

"What does this spell is supposed to do? The incantation is not in Latin," Cassiopeia had been taught Latin since she was eight, and could understand most of the spells purposes, of not all.

"No, it's in Portuguese," Harry said looking at the book in which he found the spell. "It is a Brazilian spell and supposed to slowly thin the blood."

"What books is this?" Harry showed her the cover. He title was 'Dark Curses in Thirty Idioms.'

"Spells in languages that have origin in Latin are as powerful as Latin ones. I didn't know that," Harry said quietly. "Here it says that Brazillians developed very powerful blood rituals, and the Hispano-americans too. I wonder if there is a book about their Potions at Grimmauld Place."

Cassiopeia raised her eyebrows. The Malfoy used to restrain their studies to European magic. It was interesting to know more about the American one. The Oriental magic, although very powerful, was mostly Light - well, that was what she heard about...

"Is there any Oriental spell?" she asked.

"Not that much... I think I saw an Indian one some chapters ago. Their magic is too light."

"What about Africa?"

"I saw one interesting. It was for summoning a mythical creature, which name I forgot, made of boiling water and command it to attack."

"Boiling water? Sounds fun."

"You're scary," Harry teased.

"Well, it is not me who actually brought these books to Hogwarts and called my friend to study hem with me."

"Oh, sorry for corrupting your magic and pure heart, Cassiopeia Lestrange!"

She rolled her eyes and tried the blood thinner curse, paying attention to the wand movement that was a bit complicated to pull off.

They kept training that particular curse for some minutes, until Anthony found them. He wasn't happy.

Cassiopeia liked Anthony and her other friends, of course she did. It was just that they were a bit too pampered (not that she wasn't a bit, being raised by the Malfoys) and were too busy talking about Quidditch and useless gossip. Many of them took for granted great magical power because they were purebloods. Oh, the ignorance! Harry no, he was fun, liked to study and train, and he was much more mature than her other friends, and Cassiopeia herself. He didn't talk much about the orphanage, and she guessed he was a bit resented about that.

"What are you two doing?" Anthony asked.

"Studying curses," Harry replied and pointed at the book. "Want to join us?"

"No, I just came to let you know that Granger was in Slytherin territory looking for you."

Harry groaned. Granger wasn't stupid, she knew Harry and Cassiopeia had tricked her and Tonks in the matter of Lockhart, and she wasn't happy about it. Harry didn't really care, and the only reason he hadn't told the Gryffindor to piss off was because he still had a project for her. Cassiopeia thought that using time on Granger was a waste of time, but Harry would keep her near. He just needed to look innocent enough and feed Hermione's curiosity about magic. Of course he wouldn't teach her dark curses or anything like that. The girl loved her muggle family and would never betray them, Harry mused; but he could show her some grey hexes and things like that. Just enough to build up some trust - he knew that Granger was too smart to actually trust a Slytherin - and then drag the truth out of her with Legilimency.

Harry was impressed that Tonks did not complain about what they did. He thought that she probably already expected that - being Cassiopeia's cousin and undoubtedly listening her mother tell tales about the Black family.

"Thank you, Anthony. I will find her," Anthony looked anxious, Harry noticed. No doubt Rosier believed he had forgotten the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw - the worst team - in which he would be allowed to play as the seeker. "And I am anxious to watch you playing tomorrow."

Anthony smiled and seemed less grumpy.

Harry felt bad. He and Cassiopeia were casting Anthony aside. Maybe he should pass some more time with the rest of the Slytherins rather than plotting and planning with Cassiopeia. Or bring Anthony to their actions, maybe.

.

Granger was, indeed, displeased. Actually, she was very angry. Harry found that Gryffindor behaviour very amusing. Lions, when mad, had the necessity of shouting, arguing and glaring. Slytherins were very different, and much more unforgivable. Harry would never use an intelligent Slytherin that way, he would endure a retribution for sure, a silent one.

"Hello Granger," Harry greeted politely and smirked when the girl looked like she wanted to hex him.

"Potter," she spat. "Snape doesn't give me a break. He is being horrible to me, _especially_ me, not all the Gryffindors. He knows I'm involved, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does," She cursed under her breath and then Harry added, to calm her, "but I don't think this will last. Cassiopeia and I got two weeks of detention. Tonks lost Hufflepuff a hundred points. I think that he will be hard on you for the same two weeks of our detentions."

She glared fiercely at him and shook her head.

"I should have known better than help a Slytherin."

Harry chuckled.

"Why, upset because the two evil Slytherins got the honours?"

"Something like that."

"Well, for once a Gryffindor did not end up with all the glory. You should be glad, though. It was you who finally put he pieces together and found out what Lockhart was doing. Because of you those students are not being abused any more."

Hermione stopped, thinking, and then she nodded and smiled. Ah, the Gryffindor honour could make they forget that someone had actually wronged them. Fascinating.

"Yes, I can live in the shadows if I'm helping someone in the end."

"See? And besides, I did not have and excuse to involve you and Tonks on the story. Cassiopeia wrote the letter because she is my closest friend, it does make sense that she would write that letter."

Granger then looked tense, as though she wanted to ask something.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

She took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes, biting her cheek.

"Do you have know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?"

Harry considered the question. Did she really believe he would tell her if he knew?

"Only that it was built by Salazar Slytherin, who put a beast there to protect the school."

Hermione snorted and looked at him suspiciously.

"If you wanted to ask me if I know who is the heir you should just plainly ask this, Granger. And the only person that I can think of being the heir is your little friend."

"For Christ's sake! Neville isn't he heir."

"But he must be, otherwise how would he be a Parselmouth?" Harry questioned, raising one eyebrow.

"I won't have you accusing Neville. Good bye, Potter!" she angrily finished and turned to leave.

"See you, Granger."

When she is gone Harry laughs softly. He wonders if his parents are Gryffindors like that... They did do something rash like not trying to talk their way out of Azkaban. Well, the Slytherins Lestranges did that too... He shrugged and tried to forget his parents for a while. He already had a lot to think about. His mother told him that he would know everything, in the right time.

.

The Quidditch match was won by Slytherin. Anthony caught the snitch, what made the Ravenclaw seeker a bit ashamed - if his hateful glares towards Rosier were anything to go by.

"Congratulations, Anthony!" Harry said as soon as he friend came back to the common room. "I knew you would make it."

"Thanks, Harry. There will be a little party in the deeper dungeons. Would you like to come?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. Party in the deeper dungeons. Somehow he knew that those five words together meant that something illegal would happen. He smirked.

"Sure, I will just call Cass and see if she wants to come. Septimus and Maya are coming too?"

"Septimus is, Maya will study today. It seems that she is having trouble with Arithmancy."

Twenty minutes later - because Cassiopeia said that she had to be dressed properly - they were in an old, abandoned classroom somewhere three floors lower than where the Slytherin common room and Potions classroom were located. It was an ample room, and there some fourth and fifth years, but the sixth and seventh years had a heavy presence there.

Harry noticed that alcohol was free there. They had strong drinks, and most of the older students looked already a bit flushed because of its effects. Some students were dancing - a very animated song, by the way - and some couples were in the corner kissing. It surprised him to see Adrian Pucey with a boy and a girl. The three of them kissing each other in turns. Really, Pucey did not look the type to share...

"Snape would so kill us if he knew what happens here..." Cassiopeia said.

"You think he doesn't?" Septimus asked "My father told me about these parties, they've been happening since a long time. Snape is a Slytherin too."

"Right," the girl agreed "But imagine McGonagall finding this out."

The four friends laughed.

"Good thing Gryffindors never venture themselves this down."

They talked some more and had drinks - mild ones, mind you.

"I want to dance!" Cassiopeia suddenly said. "Any of you will join me?"

Septimus and Anthony exchanged glances, and then looked at Harry, who questioned them silently. What were they up to?

"Go dance you two," Anthony incentivized.

Harry looked a bit panicked - just a bit, because he never really looked panicked - to Cassiopeia. She smiled and gave extended her hand, calling him. Potter rolled his eyes but took her hand, and they walked towards the part of the room people were dancing.

"Relax, Harry, I know how to dance, I will guide enough so that you don't embarrass yourself."

"Why, thank you, Professor Lestrange." they both laughed soundly.

The music was still an animated one. Cassiopeia's hair seemed to have its own life, dancing on its own rhythm. Horrified, Harry noticed that he was actually enjoying to watch his friend's ebony hair... He gulped and shook his head, earning an odd look from he girl. She showed him the movements of the dance, but Harry was a bad dancer, he could read it by the way she pursed her lips holding a laughter. When the music ended they got back.

"I will never dance again." Cassiopeia laughed, accompanied by the other two boys. Harry snorted. "I'm serious, never going to do this again."

The party continued, the third years stayed there for another hour, when things began to... Get a little heated. It seemed that the older students had finally enough alcohol on their bodies to shamelessly began to rub against each other. Harry had seen things like that since he was very young in the orphanage; but his friends looked more innocent and even blushed. Septimus' face actually assumed the colour of the Weasley hair - Harry earned a little punch on his shoulder when he said that aloud.

The three boys bid farewell to Cassiopeia and went to their dorm. It had been a good night, and Harry was happy that he had spent some time with Anthony and Septimus. Subconsciously, he was also happy with the picture of ebony hair shinning and dancing in front of him.

**There you have the start of Harry/Cassiopeia. But don't worry, nothing will really happen for some time, it was just a beginning *grins*. I think thirteens are still very young for romantic relationships.**

**It was mostly a filler chapter. Please, I would appreciate even more the feedback, because O honestly think I'm horrible writing filler chapters :(**

**Just for note: I won't turn Hermione into a muggle hater (Merlin forbid!). I don't know if the person who reviewed telling that Hermione siding with Harry (among other things) is a waste of potential thought I would do that. Anyway, you may not like how I will write some charaters... Buuuut I must say that the last chapters of Mirror (the last three were the first ones that I wrote) make me quite happy with the direction the characters will take. Plus, I never saw an *ending* for Granger like the one she will have here. **


	8. To Open The Gates of Hades

**Some parts are clearly and shamelessly inspired by Voldemort's little speech in the Graveyard on Goblet of Fire.**

**Thank you very much for the reviews. I read all of them, but my replies are rather random, and I apologize, but it's not always that I can reply.**

**One thing I must ask: do you think this story's pace is too fast? Sometimes I have the sensation that it is, and since it is a problem already pointed in other stories of mine I needed to ask. I don't usually write pure filler chapters (because of my inability to do so and because I think they are boring), so in almost every chapter there is something from the main arch happening.**

**Warning: my intention, in a part of this chapter, is not to bash Snape! I love him (seriously, my favourite character), so don't think I am bashing him. And nor am I intending to bash the Marauders (I tend to do that a lot in other stories, but in this one I set the goal of limiting bashing to only a few - reason why I'm even trying so hard to write a somewhat good Dumbledore).**

**Now, with the chapter... I had a lot of fun writing it, hope you like it too!**

**Chapter 8 - To Open the Gates of Hades**

It was Christmas, the feast had just finished. Most part of the students were getting ready to leave for home for two weeks. Harry and Anthony were in the common room playing chess, the latter would probably win that match...

Draco Malfoy was alone, a surprisingly fact, because the blonde was always with his two bodyguards and the Parkinson girl.

"Check," Anthony warned.

Harry eyed his pieces. He would lose his queen... Or bring down his own king. He sighed and put the queen on the way to avoid the check mate.

Goyle, Crabbe and Parkinson walked in the common room and joined Malfoy. Harry could hear what they were talking, and it was... Odd.

Why would the three Slytherins be asking Malfoy about the Heir of Slytherin? There hasn't been another petrification in weeks; surely they would have talked about that earlier.

"Harry?"

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking."

"It's your turn," Anthony said.

"I'm so going to lose this," Harry whined. "Should have brought my king down twenty minutes ago."

Anthony laughed. Harry kept his attention on the four second years. Pansy Parkinson wasn't speaking as she used to - in an annoying overly sweet voice. Crabbe and Goyle looked nervous. Hey were fidgeting. Why would they be nervous? Malfoy said something about the last time the Chamber was opened - a story his father told him; according to him, fifty years ago a _mudblood_ died when the Chamber was opened. The blonde added that he hoped that this time it was Granger the one to die.

It was brief, but not very subtle. Pansy looked murderous for some seconds.

Of course she did, because she wasn't Parkinson, but Granger herself. The Gryffindor girl used the Polyjuice to sneak in the Slytherin common room and drag the story out of Malfoy. Probably Crabbe and Goyle were Weasley and Longbottom - which one, Harry couldn't guess.

He had to admit, it was a good plan. It was almost Slytherin. Harry wondered why the hell Malfoy hadn't noticed something off yet. If Gryffindors polyjuiced themselves into his friends, Harry would perceive in ten seconds. He shook his head... Well, he wasn't going to warn Malfoy.

"What is it?" Anthony asked when Harry laughed quietly.

"Malfoy is oblivious," Rosier looked at Harry quizzically after that statement.

"What has happened?"

"His little friends are not really his friends."Anthony rolled his eyes, Harry was speaking as though no one knew that Crabbe and Goyle were Malfoy's lapdogs just because, well, because he was a Malfoy. "I mean, literally."

"What the hell?"

"I saw Granger brewing Polyjuice. Be quiet about this. I don't really care about Malfoy, and I have word to use against the little slypery Gryffindor. Just imagine how possessed Snape would be if he knew she's stolen from him?"

"They are crazy to do something like this," Anthony said, shaking his head.

"Quite..."

The three Gryffindors left abruptly and Harry mused that the potion was beginning to wear off. In the end Anthony also won the match.

.

For the first time Harry passed his holiday at 'home'. Sirius was being a bit grumpy about the way Cassiopeia wrote about him in the article; but he also looked - or tried to look - worried. Potter did not quite understood the man. Why should he pay because James Potter was a Death Eater? Nonsense, pure and simply...

Harry sent his friends' gift and received his. There was, however, a gift that he wasn't expect - but that he should.

His mother sent him a letter and a pendant. It was also a portkey that would take him to wherever she was. He just needed to say 'flower' while holding it. The pendant was beautiful. It was made of gold and had a tiny ruby stone. Gryffindor colours. Harry laughed amused when he put the pendant on his neck. It was near the necklace Cassiopeia gave him - the one with Slytherin colors. It seemed that the two of them wanted Harry to be safe.

Lily also wrote that she was very, very furious and that she basically wanted to kill Lockhart. He reckoned that Snape hadn't told her the whole story. Yet. Or she would have mentioned it.

A week passed. Harry and Sirius were getting relatively well now - what meant that they stayed out of the other's way during the whole time except for meals, when Black would try to talk with Harry, but the boy was adamant about only giving in when his godfather apologized. He bloody well deserved it!

Harry found a book on Legilimency on the library. He was glad that Sirius stopped trying to 'put sense on his mind'. He would read the books he wanted. End of story.

He just needed to find a volunteer to offer their mind for him to delve on. Cassiopeia refused promptly. He was considering ask Anthony or Septimus...

Harry was wondering on the library when he spotted a very curious book. Its letters seemed different, a bit hard to read, but when he concentrated, Harry could understand what was written.

'Parselmagic'.

He smiled brightly and took the book, returning to his dorm.

.

Lucius Malfoy; Mr. and Mrs. Avery, Edward Nott, Severus Snape, Anthony Rosier Sir, Lily Potter, Claudius Pucey, Yaxley, Anthonin Doholov, Walden Macnair, Crabbe Sir and Goyle Sir were gathered in a circle. Lord Voldemort stood, watching each one of them. His inner circle - or at least part of it. He wasn't pleased with most of them. Lily Potter and Severus Snape were excused; she had been in Azkaban, and he had stayed just where he was ordered. The rest of them, though, had abandoned him.

He was furious with Lucius. Very much. Malfoy knew about Harry Potter and should have taken care of the boy. Fortunately the boy ended up just fine, with interest in the Dark Arts and dislike for muggles... But it could have been different, and then... Then Lucius would indeed be in deep trouble.

"I see that we are still united under the Dark Mark... Or are we?" the Dark Lord hissed. "None of you looked for me during these ten years. Did you believe that I was dead?" he looked sharply at his servants and smiled at the obvious fear some of them showed in their faces. "When I so thoroughly told you that I could not be killed."

"I beg you for forgiveness, my Lord!" Avery Sir said, throwing himself on the floor.

"_Crucio._" lazily Voldemort said, and Avery fell to the floor, screaming. "I might... Forget your lack of dedication. In time. For now, though, I want ten years of servitude, the ten years that I spent wandering in the form of nothing more of a spirit, by sheer will force." he lifted the curse and Avery panted for some minutes.

"Some of you," Voldemort spoke, looking at Lucius "Neglected important duties. _Crucio._"

Malfoy did not scream, but his whole body shuddered horribly. His lower lip was bleeding because he had bitten it to stop his screams. When the curse ended Voldemort legilimized him.

"What is he meaning of this, Lucius?" the Dark Lord hissed angrily. Lucius swallowed hard and tried to speak, but a full body burning curse hit him, making him gasp in pain. "What was the meaning of this, Lucius?" he repeated.

Voldemort had seen Lucius giving his diary to that blood traitor chit. His Horcrux was at Dumbledore's reach. Now the whole story that the Prophet published, about the Chamber being opened made sense. Of course the Dark Lord was curious about that... He just hoped that something else was happening, perhaps that Harry Potter had somehow found it.

"Lucius, Lucius... You should have known better than do this." Malfoy trembled, and Voldemort delved on the blonde's mind again. There it was... The feud with that disgusting family caused his Death Eater to lose his precious possession. Lucius was also sure of his own death.

He should kill Lucius... But at the same time he needed his money and influence in the Ministry. None of his followers held such political power like Malfoy; his wealth was even almost forgettable. He had plenty of money for his cause. Although Malfoy was by far the richest of his supporters, the Dark Lord could do just fine with the Potter's, Avery's, Parkinson's and Prince's fortune; and besides, the Lestranges and Augustus Rookwood would soon be out of Azkaban...

Lucius also had a manor with possibly the strongest wards in Britain, despite Hogwarts'. That surely could be very useful.

He ponderd what Narcissa Malfoy would do if he killed Lucius... She might remain on his side, being a Black... Well, that useless Sirius and Bella's sister had betrayed their family, so it wasn't really certain if Narcissa would remain supporting the dark. She could even seek the help of the Order of the Phoenix, and they would surely ask for the Malfoy fortune that would be at her disposal - up until Draco's coming of age - to use against the dark.

So... Perhaps it would be foolish to kill Lucius.

"Be glad, Lucius, that you still have your usefulness. But even it won't keep you alive for long if something like this gets repeated." he grabbed Lucius' left arm and touched the Dark Mark with his wand, summoning the rest of his servants, the lesser ranked.

It last for ten minutes. Thirty-two cloaked and masked figures apparated. Four didn't. Voldemort would deal with them immediately.

"Lily," the Dark Lord called and the witch looked at him and tilted her head. "I know that you are furious with Lucius. Show it." The Potter Lady nodded and drew her wand, sending a series of curses and hexes at Lucius. "Since this is our first meeting in a long time we shall recall one of our traditions. You will all have a go on Lucius. Just make sure that the enchanting Narcissa receives her husband whole, of body and mind," he said to the Inner Circle and stepped back to seat on his throne.

The Death Eaters were taken aback. That sort of punishment rarely was inflicted upon someone of his Inner Circle. Well, better than kill Lucius. The rest of his most devoted followers proceeded to torture the blonde. Macnair was especially vicious - he and Lucius didn't get along.

When it ended, Voldemort stood and began to pace near the lesser ranked Death Eaters. He was legilimizing each one of them to discover who was still loyal and who wasn't. He found three traitors and even admired their bravery in answering to the summons. He smiled and sat again.

"Severus, I believe you brought some... Potions, didn't you?" both knew about which kind of potions Voldemort was asking about.

"Yes, my Lord."

"Excellent," with a flick of his wand, Voldemort cursed the three traitors and they fell on the floor screaming. "These three betrayed me. Macnair, Rosier, Doholov," the three looked at him "bring them here."

The three Death Eaters grabbed the traitors by their wrists or neck and dragged them near the Dark Lord's throne.

"You fools," he hissed "You dared to betray me. Severus..."

The Potions master took a step forward and poured vials' contents on each one of the traitor's mouths, five seconds later they began to trash and scream marvellously. In silence, everyone watched the potion induced torture for minutes and minutes; well, not exactly silence, since the screams were filling he ambient.

"You see what happen when someone wrongs me," Voldemort waved his hand towards Lucius, who was barely conscious. "And you see what happend when someone betrays me." three Avada Kedravas were cast and perfect silence finally fell.

Voldemort dismissed most of them, only holding Severus, Antonin and Walden at the end.

For Doholov and Macnair he gave the task of eliminating the four minions that did not answer to the summons.

"I saw in your mind, Severus, that something is troubling you."

"Indeed, my Lord."

"Speak."

"Dumbledore suspects you are rising once again. Longbottom has some link with you through his scar. When you suceeded in taking the stone he felt it and alerted the old fool. It seems that whenever you feel especially... Excited - though I imagine that any strong emotion would cause the same - the boy feels it. I fear that I might need to properly inform Dumbledore of your return, my Lord, otherwise he would lose his trust in me."

The Dark Lord fell silent for some minutes, his crimson eyes slightly narrowed and his left hand was on his chin, the right one was tapping the wand on the arm of the throne.

"If this is true then he will look for you today... I was very displeased with Lucius today. If Longbottom already felt it then there is no use in hide my return from Dumbledore any more, he is not idiot. Besides, knowing our Ministry, I think that they won't believe I am back, or they will try to deny it. You will tell Dumbledore everything that happened here today, except anything that I said, only tell him about my actions. But you will also tell him that I don't trust you, I won't have him asking everything that happens in our meetings."

"As you wish, my Lord."

"You may go, Severus. This is the list of potions you will brew for me," he added giving Snape two parchments "the first one you will show Dumbledore. The second you will guard in the utmost secret. I want all of them in the next time I summon you, which will be in eight days. I know that some of them are quick to prepare."

Severus looked at the second parchment and his eyes slightly widened. Those potions could only be used for one purpose...

.

"Wonka bars," Snape muttered - wondering what the hell were 'Wonka bars' - and he gargoyle gave him access to Dumbledore's office.

"Severus, what has happened? Why are you here at this hour of the night?"

"He summoned me!"

Snape watched as Dumbledore's face crumbled with sorrow, but it only last for some seconds, because after that the older wizard's expression became decided, fierce.

"I... I didn't have time to inform you, I was at Spinner's End, since it is the holidays and I wanted to brew some potions in my quiet home."

"It is all right, Severus. I imagine that Voldemort is not a patient man... You had to be there on time. Tell me what happened there, Severus."

"First he summoned his Inner Circle. I know that Lucius Malfoy and Lily Potter were there. I don't know the identity of the others, though I would imagine that apart from who is in Azkaban only Karkaroff wasn't there. He was very displeased with Lucius, something he saw while legilimizing him. He used the Cruciatus on Lucius and then a burning curse.

Then he used Lucius' mark to summon the lesser ranked. I don't know how many were there, but I know that four did not answer to his summons, and they will be killed - he already ordered it. Then, when all the Death Eaters were gathered, he ordered the Inner Circle to torture Lucius. We did it.

Lucius was barely conscious, and after that he legilimized the lesser ranked. He found three traitors and asked me for pain potions. He tortured them with the potion for some minutes and them finished with killing curses."

Dumbledore nodded, looking worried.

"You don't know why he was enraged with Lucius?"

"No."

"Does he trust you, Severus?"

"I don't really know. He was pleased that I maintained my position here, but he held some of his Inner Circle after the meeting. I don't know if he didn't need me or if he doesn't trust me."

"I see. I am sorry to ask this of you, my boy, but you must do anything to gain more and more of his trust." What consisted of torturing and killing people. Sometimes Severus thought that Dumbledore asked too much. If he really was repent of his past, Snape would hate to do that again, and yet the headmaster asked that.

"I will work on that, Albus," then he took the parchment out of his pocket "He asked me to brew these."

Dumbledore scanned the sheet and sighed. Severus smirked internally. It wasn't nothing new that the Dark Lord was asking for torture and mind controlling potions.

"These are... Horrible. This one," Dumbledore put his finger over one of the latin names "is used for mind control, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is vulgarly known as the Liquid Imperius, but it is more effective than the curse. The long exposure to this potion causes the person to believe that the decisions are being made by them."

"I see. I am very sorry, my boy, that you have to partake on such hideous acts, but you know that it is for the greater good. He didn't curse you?"

"No, he only cursed Lucius," Severus lied. He didn't tell that Avery was cursed too, wanting to make Dumbledore think that the rest of the Inner Circle was 'safe'. That way he could say that the Dark Lord had another trusted men, and assume the façade of being _only_ the potions master.

The floo flared at the moment, an the frantic voice of Augusta Longbottom filled the room. So he had been right about the brat.

"Albus, it's Neville! His scar is bleeding and he told me that he a dream of sorts."

"Oh, dear," Dumbledore whispered and looked at Severus. The spy could tell that the other man was pleased with him, and that his loyalty wouldn't be questioned from then on. He mentally smirked at that.

"I will be there in some instants, Augusta. Severus is coming as well, he might help with potions."

Severus snorted. Such a good night would end with him tending to the brat-who-lived.

.

"Harry, may I talk with you?" Sirius asked, sitting on the opposite chair. Harry was in the library - not actually reading, but mostly thinking.

"Yes."

"I want you to know that I was very furious at that bastard, Lockhart. I know you don't believe me, but I do care about you, and what he did was horrible."

Harry only stared at the man, who was looking apprehensive.

"I also wanted to ask about your life in the orphanage, Harry. Look, when Minerva told the staff about what you used to do there I felt... Disgusted. I'm sorry. I just thought that you were already beginning to be an evil little Death Eater. Your father and I were friends, and he knew how much I hated anything dark.

I still can't believe he did what he did. And I know that you are going to be a dark wizard, Harry... I won't lie, it is hard to accept this. But I need to know how was your life during all these years."

Oh, he was feeling guilty. Harry wanted to laugh. That article did improve his image. Good, very good. Now he just needed to tell a sad tale...

"Sometimes weird things happened around me. Now I know it was accidental magic. The other children bullied me, the adults never did anything to help me. End of story."

Sirius shook his head.

"James' son bullied... I would never thought that James' son would be bullied, quite the oppo—" but then Black stopped mid sentence and Harry frowned. Was he going to say 'the opposite'?

"Yes, I was. But then I found out how to defend myself. I didn't know it was magic at that time, but I knew it was something they feared. But at least they would leave me alone. I never used this against someone who didn't pick on me."

Harry thought it was risky to actually admit that he had used magic - dark magic that he wasn't even supposed to know - against the muggles. But Sirius hadn't told Dumbledore about Lily's 'visit' - Black himself told him that, - and so Harry decided to trust the man, a little.

"You are a wizard, Harry, it was coward of you to use magic against muggles," Sirius said in a patronizing voice, but Harry was having none of that.

"You must be kidding me!" Harry snapped. "They chose to pick on me first. I was merely defending myself. They might not have magic, but they do know how to hurt someone. I know we are better than muggles," Harry inwardly smirked when the man flinched at his statement "but if you think I'm a coward, they were too, because I was physically weaker than them. It's easy to pick on someone weaker than you. I could have done that, but I didn't. I merely wanted to stay alone!"

While that was true, Harry also knew that he didn't use his power to torment the other children - all of them - into oblivion because he didn't really want to waste his time on them, not because he particularly cared about this 'cowardice' thing - or he would feel bothered by the way Snape berated the students in humiliating ways...

"I... You didn't use this to humiliate them?" Sirius asked, deeply confused. My, my, were those _hideous_ things really passing though his mind? Harry amused thought.

"No, they wouldn't even understand what I was saying anyway, stupid the lot of them."

"I think you're better than I thought, Harry."

That was odd, really odd. Harry saw something on Black's eyes - it looked like the man couldn't understand that no, he never picked on the other children just because he could. What was the fun on that?

"Not that your opinion really matters to me, honestly, but I'm glad - and hopefully right - in my assumption that you don't see me just like an evil, slimy Slytherin."

"That's what we used to talk about the snakes... Your father, Remus, Peter and me," Black said almost sad "I think that now James would even like the Slytherins, especially because his son is one."

Harry rolled his eyes. Really, was the man that shallow?

"You think that only Slytherins followed the Dark Lord?" when Black's look meant that yes, he thought that way, Harry groaned and shook his head. "Do you think that only people who seek power would join him? Merlin, this is so stupid! Think with me. Anyone could be a Death Eater for their own reasons. But if you want to use the characteristic of he houses, so be it. A Ravenclaw could join him because they wanted more knowledge, and knowledge for itself, not because of the power it brings. Call it a parnasian Death Eater, if you will.

A Hufflepuff could be so loyal to his family, friends or someone else and decide to take the Dark Mark because of that. And imagine if the Dark Lord had most of his followers from that house... He would be even more powerful than he was once.

A Gryffindor could join him because of the need. You have to be very brave to join the Dark Lord, and only a Gryffindor could do this because of straight need. I don't think Death Eaters had an easy life.

And for your information, there were Death Eaters from every house, although most of them were, indeed, Slytherins."

When Harry finished Black had his jaw opened. Christ, the man was what, thirty-three? And couldn't think about that by himself?

"How do you know that there were Death Eaters from all houses, and why do you call You-Know-Who 'Dark Lord'? Only Death Eaters call him that."

"I know that because I've heard. Come on, you know who my friends are," Harry said in a teasing tone. "And I think it is ridiculous to call someone 'You-Know-Who' or whatever stupid thing you think to call Voldemort. If you won't call him by his title, then use his name. It is Voldemort. Vol-de-mort! And all my friends call him the Dark Lord, I grew accustomed to it."

Black flinched all the times Harry said 'Voldemort' and he boy sighed. People were idiot and couldn't see that Voldemort wanted exactly that - the whole Britain fearing his very name.

"I see," Sirius said quietly and looked at Harry - that uncomfortable posture was back. "Harry, I wanted to say something..."

Potter tilted his head and watched Black with attention. It seemed that his deserved apology was coming...

"I am sorry for leaving you. I was scared, and I didn't act like a Gryffindor should. I never thought - or wanted - you to suffer. I... It is hard for me. I've always imagined that James son would be very different, that we would prank Slytherins, maybe turn Sniv-Snape's hair red." Harry almost laughed, guessing how much someone who dared to do that would be cursed into oblivion "That you would hate Dark Magic..."

"I am not this boy you dreamed of," Harry spat.

"I know, and I want to apologize to you all the same. And if I had taken you when James and Lily were arrested, you would have grown up with me, and you would be all those things, I think," _touché_, Harry thought. Had Black been what he should it was probably what would happen. Somehow, that comforted Harry. He didn't want to be a bloody prejudiced light wizard. He liked his friends, his house and especially his magic very much.

"And I would like to actually have a relationship with you, not this cold thing in which we stay out of each other's way. I will try to just leave you be the way you are, I'm not going to try to make you change your mind, not that I think it is possible, anyway. We live in the same house and you talk more with the portrait of my bloody _dead_ mother and that insufferable elf than with me. This isn't right."

Harry smiled. Although part of his mind was worried with turning the man to his side, part was glad that he would finally have a godfather.

"I am willing to try it," Harry said and Black almost bounced with glee. "And although your excuse for abandoning me is pathetic - as my mother already pointed - I do accept your apology. Just refrain yourself of mocking Slytherins in my presence, it is offensive, and I shall refrain myself of insulting Gryffindors. Also, don't try to dissuade me from my magic inclination or choose of friends. This is all I _ask_."

"All right, Harry, I will. But does this mean that I won't be allowed to take points from Slytherin?" Harry looked puzzled at Sirius, frowning. "I will be your DADA teacher again."

"Oh. Well, you are better than Lockhart."

"I could only hope so."

.

Harry's relationship with his godfather did improve after that. They discussed little things, and Sirius started to tell him some stories from his youth, most of them involving his time at Hogwarts with the Marauders - which Harry found funny, though he mused that the four friends could have spent their time doing more productive things than pranking Slytherins. Seriously, that was just waste of time and capacity...

But Harry noticed that Black was pained while talking about that. Honestly, he didn't care about the man's apparent suffering, though, he just wanted to know more about his parents. He was very amused to find out that his mother had been friends with Snape (shouldn't Gryffindors and Slytherins be sworn enemies?). And that only raised his suspicions that Lily had visited Snape after getting out of Azakaban - what would explain why the teacher made it clear that Harry's mother would be hearing about his little plan with Lockhart.

And that also explained why Snape loathed Gryffindors - yes, the rivalry between the houses was old, but Professor Sinistra was a snake too and never humiliated a Gryffindor like Snape. Not that Harry cared about the lions or his teacher, but it was evident that the man didn't grow up enough to be at least fair with people from that house. The boy mused that perhaps he would just do the same if he was humiliated on a daily-basis like Snape had been. That didn't make the Potions professor less wrong, mind you... But some people deal with things in wrong ways, and Harry wasn't about to judge Snape for that. At least the man treated him well - what was surprising, given that he was _James Potter's_ son. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that his father was a fellow Death Eater and he, Harry, a Slytherin... He really didn't care, though.

Harry was surprised to learn that the Marauders ended after his father's 'treason'. Remus Lupin was living in South America, though he sometimes came to visit Sirius - the last time being on the occasion of that mysterious meeting. Peter Pettigrew had opened a little shop in Hogsmeade, where he sold animal's food.

All in all, Harry's 'truce' with Sirius had been a good thing, especially because the man would be his teacher again. He had written Cassiopeia informing her about his new relationship with his godfather. The girl replied that he should use the opportunity to try and bring the Black family back to where it should be: supporting the dark. Harry didn't think it was possible, though; it was apparent that the man was doing his best to so much as allow Harry to read 'offensive' books - not Dark Arts', those ones Potter hid on his room.

Christmas' holiday was a pleasant experience. Harry and Sirius left for Hogwarts together - arriving there via floo instead of taking the train.

.

Eight days later, as promised, the Dark Lord summoned Severus again.

"My Lord," Snape greeted and bowed.

"Hello, Severus. Let me see the potions." Voldemort inspected the several vials and smiled slightly. "What news do you bring me from the old coot?"

"He asked me to remain spying and to do anything to gain your trust. Longbottom again had a reaction on his scar, and I examined it myself. It was bleeding, and he could feel your emotions through it. He knows you were very furious with Lucius."

The Dark Lord nodded and part of his mind was too concentrated thinking about what that meant. He needed to find a way of closing that connection, or better, leaving it open only when it was convenient.

"Try to keep one eye on Longbottom, Severus," then he paused. "You are very intelligent and I am sure you know on what those secret potions will be used. As much as I would appreciate your help there, it will be done without you. I don't want Dumbledore thinking that I would trust you with something of that scope. You will, however, be summoned to deal with the aftermath, so have healing potion prepared."

"I will, my Lord."

"There is another matter that I want to discuss with you, Severus. Gilderoy Lockhart." Voldemort was disgusted with that man. He himself might kill children, but he made it clean and painless. He would never touch them - it was sick, even for him. "One of your fellow Death Eaters asked me that when in Azkaban, we should break Gilderoy Lockhart out of there too, so she can... Talk with him. The Prophet obviously did not publish the names of the other students that he abused, but I think you know about this. Tell me, Severus, did Lockhart abused another Death Eaters' child?"

"Not exactly. However, he did abuse Sophia Shaqif... One of the worst cases along with a second year Gryffindor."

Voldemort nodded. The Shaqifs weren't marked, but they were supporters. No doubts they would appreciate to put their hands on Lockhart.

"And he also tried something with Daphne Greengrass, but something went wrong and he just obliviated her and never gave her another _detention_. However, if my fellow Death Eater is worried that Lockhart will not receive the necessary punishment, since the kiss was denied on his case, she can rest assured that he will die in about ten days."

"And how is that, Severus?"

"_Mortem Pro Iustitia._"

"My, my, Severus, you were quick on that..."

"It wasn't me, my Lord," and Severus stared right on his eyes - it was an offer to enter his mind and watch what happened. Voldemort intruded on the other wizard's memories and watched Severus legilimizing Harry Potter and discovering what the boy had done; all of his plans and their execution. "What a little snake," Voldemort said when he left Severus' mind.

"Indeed," Snape replied and a hint - just a hint - of... Pride could be seen.

"You taught him well, Severus. Keep on doing this. You don't have to worry about the Chamber of Secrets any more. I know what is happening. Keep your façade for Dumbledore, but resume the boy's private lessons."

"As you wish, my Lord."

"That was all, Severus. You may go."

.

It was a cold night. It had rained a bit earlier, and the imposing building shone a bit due to shy drops of water that ran down on it. Azkaban stood strong like it had always been, but not for long.

Thirty black cloaked figures were in the top of the building, while fifteen were down. Those ten were merely distractions, and the man leading them - Antonin Doholov - knew that. They were even expendable. In the top of the tower was the rest of the Inner Circle. As soon as the men down started a havoc, the ones who were up would break the wards there and get the prisoners out.

Voldemort was there, at the top, unmasked, and the orders were to leave no survivors, so they wouldn't know tell the world that the Dark Lord had risen once again.

The signal was given, and an explosion got the attention of the aurors that were down. Two were killed in the first burst.

Up there, in a showing of sheer power, the Dark Lord recited an incantation that weakened the wards. After that he cast a spell to concentrate the next wave of power. And then, with a simple _Diffindo_, the walls of Azkaban were opened - broken.

Lily Potter ran over the cells, looking for her husband. Lucius Malfoy - as he had promised Narcissa - looked for her sister Bellatrix. The others looked for the remaining. Rookwood, the Carrows, among others. Walden Macnair had the task of finding Gilderoy Lockhart.

In no more than fifteen minutes they left. Ten aurors had been killed, and only one Death Eater perished. It was a good balance.

Some miles away a boy twisted on his sleep, a scar on his forehead bled.

**So, what do you think?**


	9. The Diary

**Sorry for taking so long to update! **

**Thank you for all the reviews!**

**My updates will probably take long to happen from now on, because RL is getting harder lately... **

**.**

**Now, just so you know:**

Harry writing on Tom Riddle's diary;

_**Tom writing.**_

**Chapter 9 - The Diary**

The news of the break out of Azkaban were spread around the wizarding world. People were mostly afraid, some proclaimed that Lord Voldemort wasn't dead - what was strongly denied by the Ministry. The British population had a lot of questions. First Lily Potter escaped the high secured prison and then, only months later, a mass break out happened, freeing highly dangerous people like the Lestranges and James Potter.

In the Wizengamont some Lords aligned with the Light tried to pass a law that allowed raids on dark families homes, under the pretext that they might be hiding Azkaban escapees. Like Lucius Malfoy, whose wife was sister of Bellatrix Lestrange. The Malfoy Lord of course made everything on his power to avoid such thing, because if anyone did look on his Manor, for example, they would find not only all the escaped Death Eaters - and Gilderoy Lockhart - but also the Dark Lord. And, well, he could most surely buy a way out of Azkaban with some obliviations and murders, but he would be punished afterwards.

People had the idea - oh, how absurd - of demanding entrance in the Black's properties, claiming that Sirius Black, head of the family, was actually aligned with the Dark, given his family's history and his former (or not) friendship with the Potters, especially James. The DADA teacher had been quite furious during those weeks and his students noticed it in the amount of detentions he assigned and points he took. In the end, however, the law wasn't approved, and everyone was left in peace.

Slytherin house was cheering, and they didn't even try to hide it. Though nobody except two third years knew that Voldemort was the responsible for the whole ordeal, they were glad nonetheless that some parts of family and friends of their parents were now free.

Harry was happy, now his whole family was free and it was a good feeling, even though they were wanted people that had some dozen of Dementors on their chase. Cassiopeia was, well, as bouncing as pureblood education and Slytherin coldness permitted. She only lamented that it happened after the term resumed, or she would had met with her parents during Yule break.

Potter began to study the book on Parselmagic he had taken from the Black library, it was focused on the control of magic. At the same time, Harry started to try to practice Legilimency. During meals he would be staring at some muggleborn and muggle raised students - since Cassiopeia explained him that most pureblood families used to teach at least some basic Occlumency for their children. He could mostly feel the emotions from people, but not actually know what they were thinking. It was a good start, Harry supposed.

Harry found himself again in the same bathroom where he brewed illegal potions. But something wasn't quite right this time. The place was all flooded. Moaning Myrtle told him that she had flooded it because someone flushed a diary on a toilet. The boy didn't know exactly why he picked the diary up from a toilet, but he did.

It belonged to someone named Tom M. Riddle, and it was all blank. Odd.

Harry put the diary on his pockets and got out of he bathroom. Later, when the mess was cleaned up, he would return to the bathroom and began to brew a stock of necessary potions.

In the safety of his dorm, Harry looked at the diary with more attention. Who was Tom M. Riddle? And why did someone flushed that in the toilet? Harry tried to take off any spell from the object, hoping to see if there were charms to prevent anyone from reading whatever was written. However, he got no result from it, but Harry could feel some strong, very strong magic on the thing.

Harry put the diary on his trunk, and decided to think more about that later.

.

James Potter smiled as he looked at his wife who was sleeping. He hadn't known that Lily escaped from Azkaban before the mass break out. She was a brilliant witch, he had always known that, since their second year at Hogwarts, when she still hated him.

He sighed. The thing James Potter wanted the most was to see his son. From what Lily told him, Harry was a smart boy. He would have preferred if his son was a Gryffindor, but... Well, it wasn't as though James could judge Slytherins, since he had pledged himself to one, and the worst of all.

Lily and him were better than most of the Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban, having used their Animagi forms to ease the influence from the Dementors. Still, they weren't exactly fine, of course. Some aurors - former colleagues of James including - had a pleasure on torturing Death Eaters on Azkaban, which meant that torture curses were freely used on them. Besides, they weren't correctly fed or clothed, and Azkaban was cold, fucking cold.

His wife was a bit out of herself, James knew. Some part of that was related to her reluctance on leaving Harry behind. It had been him, after all, who convinced her before their trail that they should just swear total loyalty to the Dark Lord and go to Azkaban. It could had been worse otherwise. Much worse. Lily must be still blaming herself for the way Harry was brought up...

Which reminded James that he needed to have some words with Sirius.

He sighed deeply, staring at his glass of firewhiskey. His friend had disappointed him deeply. He was anger at Sirius, obviously, but mostly he was hurt by his friend. James supposed that Sirius wouldn't harbor such feelings for his son, he was innocent, for Merlin's sake! But then, Black had always been the most immature of the Marauders, and thick headed. James would never abandon Sirius' son if the situation was inverse...

An amused grin popped on his face... Sirius so wanted to deny his upbringing, his pureblood heritage, but kept acting just like a pampered pureblood. James had grown up - a lot - before Azkaban, so it was no wonder he had a new perspective on things. He had even apologized to Snape, for the times he picked on him for no reason. Sirius would never, ever do that.

His Dark Mark burned, bringing James out of his musings. He finished his drink and went to meet Voldemort without even waking Lily up to tell her where he was going.

.

A month passed and none other student was petrified. Snape had brewed the potion to cure who had been, and the school was calmer, everyone had almost forgotten that the whole Chamber of Secrets thing happened, especially because most people seemed more worried about the fact that a lot of criminals, Death Eaters, were on loose. Harry thought that at any moment another attack would happen...

He'd talked with Tonks to ascertain that Ginny Weasley wasn't acting oddly any more, and Harry was intrigued by that. The Hufflepuff first year didn't have the same symptoms, from obliviations... He didn't have the whole list of abused students, but he was even more sure that Weasley wasn't one of them. Which led Harry to wonder if she had something to do with the Chamber.

Harry was sitting on a corner on the common room reading his book about Parselmagic. How that thing ended up on the Black Library, he had no idea. People considered Parseltongue a dark trait, which was very, very idiot. It was only another, albeit rare, language. Parselmagic had also the Light and Dark branches, and Harry was studying both. The Light one was mostly about healing and protection, very useful and strong shields. The Dark, however, was mainly about vicious spells used on duelling. Magic that didn't kill the opponent, but that incapacitated them enough to be easily hit with a killing curse. There were also some utility spells, like spells for cleaning and helping at home, which would no doubt amuse the population. Did Parseltongue make a cleaning charm evil? He grinned thinking like that.

Now Harry had had a time to think about the things he recently learned about himself. He was magically the heir of Slytherin, and Gryffindor. It was known that Voldemort was a parselmouth too, but was he a heir of Slytherin by blood or by magic?

And why he, Harry, had the magic of Slytherin within him? Most important, who had given him such a priceless gift? Since Harry knew it was a given thing, because his mother was a muggleborn and Slytherin blood did not, at all, run on his father's veins.

Could it be Voldemort who gave him Slytherin's magic? But why would he do such a thing? For all Harry knew, the Dark Lord loved power, and probably wouldn't want to give anyone part of his powers. That did make sense, though.

Harry took the mysterious diary out of his pocket, eyeing it carefully. He could feel the magic from the little book... He opened the book and tried some spells to reveal whatever was written in it. They didn't work, the pages continued completely blank. So Harry tried a parselspell...

Incredibly, as soon as Harry began to whisper the words in the ancient language a page was filled with one word.

_**Ginny?**_

The word disappeared some seconds later. So the thing was from the Weasley girl...

_**Is it you, Ginny?**_

The diary wrote again, and Harry narrowed his eyes. Was the thing actually trying to talk with him?

Harry took a quill from his bag and wrote back.

No, I am not Ginny... You were talking about Ginny Weasley, right?

Just like the diary's own words, Harry's writing disappeared seconds later.

_**You must return me to Ginny!**_

Could a first year create such piece of magic? Harry mused... Or maybe the diary was something from her family? It would explain why the thing wanted to be returned.

Are you a heirloom from her family?

_**No. **_

_**Who are you?**_

Harry took a deep breath. If someone later could read whatever he wrote on the book he could be in deep problem... But he was curious, so Harry wrote the truth.

My name is Harry Potter.

_**Are you a friend of Ginny?**_

No. I'm in third year, and she's in first. Besides, we're not in the same house.

The diary didn't reply promptly like it had until then. It seemed that it was musing about what to say.

_**In which house are you, and how did you come to possess this book?**_

I'm a Slytherin. I found this book on Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Someone tried to flush it on the toilet.

_**A Slytherin, you say? You activated this diary using Parseltongue... How did you do it?**_

Harry took some minutes to reply to that. The thing knew he had used Parseltongue... Did that mean that Ginny was one too? But how? People said that only one person was a Parselmouth and then, suddenly, Harry found himself a parselmouth too, and Longbottom... And possibly Ginny Weasley.

_**Answer me!**_

Harry gave a soft chuckle when the diary demanded that.

I was trying to find a spell to reveal whatever was written on this book, since it only looked blank to me. None spell worked, so I used a parselspell.

_**So you are a parselmouth?**_

Yes.

_**How did you know the spell?**_

Harry chewed his lips, deciding on how much to "reveal". He had began to wonder if possibly someone was reading that...

I found it.

_**Where?**_

At the house of one of my father's friends.

It wasn't a total lie...

_**What's his name?**_

Deciding that the diary was too curious, Harry closed it and put it back on his bag.

.

Lily watched James from the corner of her eyes. He looked troubled, and angry. The last time she'd seen him like that was when he heard about what Lockhart did to Harry. He had viciously tortured the man after that, much to their Lord's amusement. Voldemort seemed to take greater pleasure when James ruthlessly tortured or killed.

"What is the matter, James?"

"Not your business, Lily," he snapped and Lily took a step back. He had never talked with her like that. Ever. Maybe it was caused because of their time in Azkaban? She thanked Merlin everyday for both of them having an animagus form... Just a look at Bellatrix made her shudder at the thought of being at Azkaban without any protection from the Dementors.

"It is my business, last time I checked I was your wife and..."

"Just leave it, Lily. I'm trying to think, all right?"

"Oh, so now you think alone. I am your wife, your partner... We are in everything together!"

"No, we are not together in everything, all right?!" he spat. "What I'm thinking about is not for the _weak_ of stomach!"

"You think I'm weak?" Lily asked, outraged.

"You are not weak in everything, but you are sometimes too sweet... You were feeling all sad because you tortured a muggle nobody. You are not Death Eater material, not really."

Lily stood there, mouth gaping and fists clenched. She'd feared that, oh, how she had. She feared it fiercely that James would turn into someone she didn't know any more... That their life would make him cold and distant. How could he say those things? She had sacrificed so much... She took the Dark Mark... _They_ both did it.

"I do hope you will rethink this, James. I do hope it," she said, glaring at him, before striding out of their room.

.

"What is the matter with you, Harry?" Cassiopeia asked softly when she saw Harry, again, looking lost in thought. Something was worrying him, and she couldn't find the reason for that. The girl did not think it was because of his father being out of Azkaban, there was nothing to worry about that.

"I'm just thinking about a thing, Cassiopeia. It's nothing important, really."

Cassiopeia snorted but said nothing more. If Harry wanted to be secretive, so be it.

Harry, for his part, was thinking about the diary. Who was Tom M. Riddle? And was he the "entity" that talked through the thing? He bid goodbye to his friend and went to his dorm early, wanting to talk more with the book.

He picked up his quill, wondering if the diary would respond him without using the Parseltongue.

Hello.

_**Who are you?**_

Harry...

At a second thought, Harry decided to write his full name. Who knew if the thing would remember him?

Harry Potter. I talked with you yesterday.

_**You closed me, and didn't answer my question!**_

So the thing did remember what happened.

I am sorry, someone called me, I had to leave.

_**I know you lie.**_

Harry's eyes widened and he almost threw the diary away. How did an inanimate object knew he was lying?

_**I don't know why you didn't want to respond my last question and why you closed me when I asked it.**_

Harry was going to ask what question it was, but since the diary knew when he lied, the boy decided against that.

You are too curious for your own good.

The friend of my father that had books about Parselmagic is Sirius Black.

It took some moments for the response to come.

_**Black? I know some members of the Black family. Whose son is this Sirius you talk about?**_

His mother was Walburga Black... His father was Orion Black, I think.

Neither Sirius nor Walburga had ever talked about his godfather's father, but since Sirius was the oldest son and his second name Orion, Harry surmised that it must be his father's name.

_**I know them. They are cousins.**_

So this Riddle person lived a long time ago? Why did he kept talking in the present? Perhaps he was trying to fool Harry?

When did you live?

_**Some decades ago, although I would like to believe that I'm still alive. **_

Harry was confused... The diary was a... Memory? A part of someone?

I don't remember hearing your name, Riddle.

_**I wouldn't think you did. **_

_**You said you are a Potter...**_

_**How is it that a Black is your father's friend? **_

Harry didn't know if the diary was from someone 'light' or 'dark-sided'. Riddle only told Harry that he knew the Blacks, not that he liked them. Riddle wasn't a wizarding name from all Potter knew, and certainly the Blacks wouldn't want anything with a muggleborn or a half-blood? But... But Walburga had been quite accepting to Harry once she learned his and his mother's story.

Sirius was friends with my father because they were in the same house.

Gryffindor.

_**Was? **_

_**And how curious, a Black in Gryffindor...**_

Harry chuckled, and then felt a bit ridiculous because he was talking with a diary. Anthony would mock him for a whole week if he knew that. This time, deciding to be polite, Harry wrote an apology before closing the thing.

.

Draco Malfoy wasn't pleased, not a bit. His father, in all his infinite wisdom, had ordered him to retrieve something that the female Weasel had. A leather book. Why his father, a Malfoy, would want anything from the blood traitor Draco didn't know.

So he was trying to find a way to first learn if the girl indeed had the book and then take it without raising suspicions.

The Malfoy heir had tried to be discreet, and most of people wouldn't notice him secretly following Ginny Weasley... But as much as discretion was a Slytherin trait, so was the ability to notice when someone was lurking in the shadows, and his cousin was a snake too... Reason why he was now trying to find an answer to her question.

"I will ask it again, Draco. Why. Are. You. Following. The. Weasley. Girl?" she punctuated each word, making the question sound worse than it indeed was supposed to.

Cassiopeia had been a pain on his ass, honestly. Best friends with the Potter boy and speaking to the mudblood Granger and their cousin, daughter of a mudblood and their blood traitor aunt. She was a shame to the Black heritage - something that no one seemed to notice. His mother, a proud pureblood that came from that house didn't seem bothered, not in the slightest, that her niece was taking a way just like her own sister... And that stupid cousin of hers who dared to call himself the head of Black family.

"It's not your business!" he spat, since Cassiopeia wouldn't believe if he lied and said that he wasn't following Ginny.

"I will write to your parents..." she threatened.

"My father asked me to do this!"

"I will write to Aunt Narcissa then... She will not be amused to know that you're... _Pursuing_ the redhead chit. It must be hard to see your own son, so well educated, wasting his time following a blood traitor."

"You have no right to say such thing to me, Cassiopeia! You live attached to that half-blood as if he was Merlin! I don't think your mother, now escaped from Azkaban, will like to know what has happened to you."

Cassiopeia took a step back, watching him with narrowed eyes, and then laughed; the kind of an amused laugh that made Draco feel stupid.

"My mother will be pleased to know that I am beside the soon to be the Prince of Slytherin. Can't you see, Draco, that Harry Potter isn't a mindless muggle loving? Have you ever seen him when he is angry? I did. Have you ever wondered _why_ Anthony, a Rosier, and Septimus and Maya, both Averys, respect him?" she asked with an awed tone that froze her cousin. "And he doesn't even try to look powerful or influent, I don't think he even knows how some people see him. He just is like that... But one day he will be conscious of that, of that I am sure.

"I think Harry hasn't bothered to lead the whole lot of us, _yet, _because he's more worried with other things. Maybe he even thinks that some of you are boring, unimportant," she paused and chuckled softly, and Draco had never felt so belittled on his whole life.

"Some of us learned to respect him in the easy way, Draco... And I won't lie, he's also a very pleasant company to be around. But some here in Slytherin learned to respect him the hard way. Like Pucey, the fifth year. And if you were intelligent, you would notice that Harry had his eyes on you in an occasion.

"And just to finish this conversation, Draco, put it in you thick head that his parents aren't a couple of a blood traitor and a mudblood. And stop being jealous..."

With that leaned towards Draco and whispered on his ear.

"And for Merlin's sake, stop trying to best Longbottom. I even understand that you're envious of Harry... But Longbottom, really?"

"I'm not envious of the stupid Longbottom!" Draco hissed under his breath. "And neither of Potter!"

Cassiopeia raised one eyebrow and pursed her lips.

"Whatever you say... Now, tell me why you were following the Weasel chit and I will leave you alone to your own thoughts."

Draco snorted.

"He wants me to take something she has..."

"Her virginity?" Lestrange retorted with a dark chuckle.

Draco looked sick and almost - almost - hexed the girl.

"A book, all right? And before you ask more, I don't know why he wants the thing!"

"Thank you, Draco. Now I can sleep at peace knowing that you're not stalking the little Hufflepuff for whatever _other reasons_. I wouldn't want to be related to someone related to her family."

"I'm twelve, you twisted crazy girl!"

"If you weren't you would so?" she questioned, looking amused at Draco's panicked and disgusted face. "All right, all right. I'm going and I won't tease you about that again."

Draco snorted and watched his cousin going away. His thoughts boiling around Potter. Draco had seen, of course, how Adrian Pucey and some of his friends looked at Potter, but he never really _paid attention_ to that. Cassiopeia had been raised by his parents, Malfoys, which meant that she was educated to appreciate power, money and beauty. Potter was rich, and if the comments of some the Slytherin girls were anything to go by, he was also considered handsome... What remained a bit clouded to Malfoy was the curiosity about the third year's power.

He shrugged, and decided that he would listen to Cassiopeia's advice at least that time. Maybe he was wrong about Potter, perhaps he was more than a fraud with fraud parents that bought their way to the Dark Lord.

He exited Slytherin territory and began to look for Weasley again.

.

Contrary to Cassiopeia's belief, someone else heard all her conversation with Draco. Harry, of course.

He was deep in thought after that, musing about what she had said of his power and influence. He was somewhat glad to listen to her confession that he also was a very pleasant company to be around - or he would be very hurt to think that she was his friend because of his supposed power...

All right, Harry knew that he was more powerful than the average wizard, but he wasn't aware that others noticed it - and more, respected that.

Prince of Slytherin? Harry chuckled at the title. He had never bothered about that, not really. But the idea wasn't all that bad, though.

However, Cassiopeia was right when she said that Harry had more important thing to worry about, like the fact that Lucius Malfoy wanted Ginny Weasley's - or Tom Riddle's - diary.

He opened the diary again, but decided that this time he would be the one asking the questions.

Hello.

_**Potter?**_

Yes.

Do you know Malfoy?

Tom didn't write back quickly...

_**Abraxas Malfoy?**_

Harry thought for some seconds. It was obvious that Tom didn't know Lucius or that he didn't want to say that. Either way, Harry wouldn't gain anything from pursuing that question, so he took the quill and wrote.

Yes.

How do you know him?

That way he could, maybe, learn something more about Tom Riddle.

_**Too curious for your own good, aren't we?**_

_**I know Abraxas because we studied together.**_

Harry chewed his lip, not really knowing what else to ask. He didn't know anything about Abraxas Malfoy...

When you went to Hogwarts, how was it like?

_**Not so different from what it looks like now, if Ginny's description of Hogwarts was accurate. Rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor... Silly gossip... Ignorant people telling us what to do...**_

Harry didn't know, but Tom Riddle was becoming more and more frustrated because his tentatives of possessing the boy were failing time and again.


End file.
